All Those Yesterdays: A Sequel
by Sick Girlie Gabs
Summary: The Sequel to the Never Ending Story, Gabrielle struggles with with her love for both Edge and Christian, while Edge struggles with problems of his own.


****

All those Yesterdays

Don't you think you oughta rest?

Don't you think you oughta lay your head down?

Don't you think you want to sleep?

Don't you think you oughta lay your head down tonight?

Don't you think you've done enough?

Oh, don't you think you've got enough, well maybe..

You don't think there's time to stop?

There's time enough for you to lay your head down, tonight, tonight

Let it wash away

All those yesterdays

What are you running from?

Taking pills to get along

Creating walls to call your own

So no one catches you drifting off and

Doing all the things that we all do

Let them wash away

All those yesterdays

All those yesterdays

All those paper plates

You've got time, you've got time to escape

There's still time, it's no crime to escape

It's no crime to escape, it's no crime to escape

There's still time, so escape

It's no crime, crime..

****

It had been two months since Gangrel's death, and Gabrielle and Matt's rebirth. Matt had decided to move back home. He said he needed to find himself again. They all expected Jeff to tag along, but he decided to stay in New Orleans, slowly becoming independent without his brother. Gabrielle bade Matt a tearful goodbye in the driveway. They had been through death and back, and thus shared a special bond.

"If it wasn't' for you, I would have forgotten." She whispered to him, standing in front of the car.

"I'll miss you. But I'll not be far…you know." She sighed.

"I know. I - I don't think I ever thanked you." Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him. Matt pressed his forehead to hers, eyes meeting again.

"You didn't need to…" he said, as their lips met in their first, and last kiss, a sorrowful goodbye that tore at their souls. Matt drew back and wiped the tears off Gabrielle's face, smiling through his.

"Go. Go back into that house and forget about me. You've got Edge in there. He loves you more than you know." She bit her lip and smiled.

"Thank you."

"Good bye Gabrielle." He said, as she reluctantly walked away back into the house. As Matt sped of in the car, he couldn't help but fell like he had made a mistake.

Gabrielle walked into the living room and seeing Edge sitting on the far end of the couch, went and sat beside him. The TV was on, sound blaring at it always was when he watched TV. She put her head on his shoulder, and felt his arm reach around and draw her closer. 

"What up?" he asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the flickering screen, and remembering that today was the day Matt was leaving. She realized her eyes had grown red from crying, and she closed them, almost ashamed. "What is it between you and Matt anyway?"

"He and I went through death together. No matter how many times I try and explain, I don't think you'll understand." She paused, searching for a comparison. "It's a bond, like the one Christian and I have." Edge smiled at her.

"I don't think I like you having all these bonds with other guys."

"Why?" she asked, teasingly. "Does it make you jealous?" she slid down so she lay across him, and the couch. He mocked a pout.

"Well, yes." Not being able to keep a straight face, he burst into a wide grin. "And we both know what happens when I'm jealous." She shot an innocent glance at him, blinking her eyes.

"Why, no. what happens?" he chuckled and descended on her mouth.

"I turn into that monster you love so much…" his lips hovered over hers, but she pulled away and sat up, grinning menacingly.

"Nope. Not today, my boy. I - " she paused dramatically, "have a shopping date with Christian."

Edge rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and I'm sure he loves taking you." He said, sarcastically.

"Hey, if you ever decided to take me shopping, then we could have all sorts of fun in one of those change rooms, ya know.." Gabrielle added, still grinning. He moved over towards her, resting his head on her legs and she started playing idly with his hair.

"Well, how long until you leave? And I thought you were upset about Matt leaving." He accused.

"Oh, I am. But shopping cures all. At least for a good portion of the female population."

"Uh-oh, you're stereotyping." Edge pointed a finger at her and she slapped it away playfully. He scooted his head further in her lap, and she felt a hand creep up her shirt.

"Hey!" she yelled, rather loudly, as he grabbed her waist and quickly shifted, pinning her down on the couch.

"So what are you going to do now?" he asked, amused at her surprised glance. She briefly struggled, and gave up.

"Nothing…" she whispered as his face drew closer, and their lips met. His hands slid under her shirt and ran up and down her back, as his tongue began exploring her mouth. He ground his hips into her, silently letting her know what he wanted. The broke the kiss and as he slipped her shirt over her head, kissing her shoulders and the top of her chest, before they were interrupted by the clearing of a throat.

"How many times this week alone have I found you guys like this on the couch?" Gabrielle laughed and blushed, replacing her shirt as Edge sat up, looking at Christian in the doorway.

"Talk about spoiling a mood." He mumbled, reclining back as Gabrielle sat up.

"Gabrielle, you ready to go?"

"Um, give me a second, okay?" Christian obliged, and went to sit in the kitchen. "Why do we never just go to a bedroom?" she asked Edge, eyebrows raised.

"Because its more spontaneous on the couch, that's why."

"We need to put a door there." Gabrielle suggested, pointed at the open doorway to the hall. She rose and stood in front of Edge, kissing his cheek and bending down to whisper in his ear. "When I get home, I promise." She said, softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down on his lap.

"Promise?" He asked, kissing her neck.

"Promise." She replied, moving and kissing his lips before rising again and walking to the kitchen.

The main street was crowded with couples holding hands, standing on corners in each others arms, kissing, touching, showing their affection. And blended right in with it all was Christian and Gabrielle. In one hand, she had bags of various clothes and in the other hand, was Christians. He had actually bought most of what was in the bags. Stopping on the site of the walkway, she looked up and squealed the girlish squeal of finding a favourite store. Gabrielle wasted no time in dragging Christian into F/X, her favourite store of the moment. The combination of a candy store in the front and the variety of rare clothes in the back made it a popular place to shop, even though for some reason, it was often deserted. Gabrielle wasted no time in amassing a rather large handful of banana-chocolate lollipops and handing them, and the bags, off to Christian. She darted to the back half of the store, looking for the newest one of a kind outfits to grace the punk shows and clubs with. He followed, sitting down on an inflatable loveseat, parked carefully outside the change room. She entered with an armful of clothes, mostly punkish. Christian had noticed that since her rebirth, Gabrielle had thrown herself almost completely into the underground punk scene. She still never went out alone, and insisted on dragging someone off to the shows, often, it was Jeff. His love and thirst for music mirrored hers, and he was the only one who could tolerate such frequency of the same bands, over and over, night after night. 

Gabrielle walked out of the small cubicle she had been changing, and stood before Christian, arms outstretched. Her first outfit consisted of jeans that couldn't really be classified as jeans, as they were covered with patches, and an original style Misfits T-shirt with safety pins around the sleeves.

"No." He just said, looking at her, and she nodded.

"I know, its horrific. It just stood out on the rack. It must be the lighting." She said, before turning around to try on another outfit.

"What are you looking for new clothes for now anyway?"

"The Save Ferris show. They may be mainstream, and not punk, but I love them."

"And I've never even heard of - " Gabrielle walked out of the change room, and noted Christian's reaction. He stopped talking, rose and stared, open mouthed. Gabrielle raised her eyebrows and looked at him, then past him to the hat rack, looking for a black bowler that would set the whole outfit off. She brushed past him, finding the exact thing she was looking for. It somehow made the red plaid skirt, which was fairly short, and plain white tank top, seem like something wearable to a concert.

"Christian, close your mouth and help me find shoes." She called from the mirror, adjusting the hat so her hair fell perfectly. Christian walked up behind her.

"I can't pick out shoes. Just get another pair of docs." Her eyes lit up at the suggestion. 

"Good idea. Do you wanna buy them for me? Knee-high ones this time." Gabrielle gazed at his reflection in the mirror. He smiled and shook his head.

"Sure. If you wear them with that outfit, its worth it." She smiled back, and he watched as she spun around, and then walked back into the change room. As he sat back down, Gabrielle still on his mind, and he realised he felt more love for her in that instant than he ever had before.

They spent the rest of the day drinking coffee at the Café du Monde, sitting and noting things about the people that walked by.

"He's cheating on his new wife with his ex-wife." Gabrielle said of the man in a business suit, walking past them. Christian pointed to someone behind her, setting down his coffee.

"And that young man over there is utterly, and hopelessly in love with his best friend." She raised her eyebrows.

"I thought we were talking about strangers, not each other, Christian."

"We are."

"No, we're not. And I already know how you feel. I feel the same, but we agreed to put it on hold so I can find my place with Edge." Christian sighed quietly.

"We Did. But its hard for me. Every time I see you, alone or otherwise, I just want you. And I need you, but so does Edge."

"We can still have a relationship. Just not physical…."

"I know…but sometimes, its not enough." He shook his head. "Let's stop talking about this, shall we?

There's no use."

"No Problem." She sniffed at her coffee. "I'm hungry. Want to feed? We can share…" she said, teasingly as a spark grew in Christians eyes. Quickly, they both rose smiling, and were off, in what had become their nightly ritual.

Christian had taken it upon himself to scout out the nights meal. Gabrielle was quite pleased with the results. A twenty-something male with, from what they could tell, as wasted existence, who welcomed death. They had taken him into an alley, their usual custom, Christian drinking first, followed by Gabrielle, who finished off. She let the body fall slowly to the ground and gazed up at Christian. He had neglected to wipe a single drop of blood, falling slowly from the left corner of his mouth. She walked closer and ran her finger where the blood dripped, pressing it to his lips. Staring at her, first in confusion, then in acceptance, he quickly cleaned her finger of the blood before she leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth where a trace of blood still ran. Christian closed his eyes, enjoying the new-found attention from Gabrielle as he felt her teeth catch his lower lip, and her hands slide up his back. Neither of them realised what was happening. The present alcohol in the mans blood had dazed them both more than normally. As Gabrielle's mouth closed over his, he felt something wasn't right, but didn't want to stop, loving the feeling of her tongue sweeping the crevices of his mouth. Christian ran his tongue over her still developing fangs, wrapping arms around her waist and turning her, pushing her back against the wall. Gabrielle's hands shifted to run up and down his chest, finally resting on the waistband of his dark jeans, attempting to delve further. Christian was lost in the kiss, ever increasing in passion and heat when something in him realised it was wrong. Mustering up strength from an unknown place, he tore himself away from her embrace, removing her hands from their precarious position. She attempted to kiss him again, but he grabbed her wrists and forced her back. As his own daze wore off, he sensed that hers was going to last a great while. Sighing, and knowing there was no point in talking, for anything he said would fall on deaf ears, he let one of her wrists go, and walked out of the alley. As they walked back to the car, Christian did his best to spurn her advances and remain emotionless, proving harder than he expected. Gabrielle was still dazed, and apparently, had only one thought, trying to get a response out of Christian, nipping his neck lightly, toying with the buttons on his shirt, and other not so subtle movements. Finding the car, he opened the door for her, and almost dreaded the lengthy ride back. She hadn't spoken, not even when he had to literally pry her off him and push her down into the car. Christian slid onto the bench seat in front of the wheel and closed his eyes before starting the car, not wanting to guess what Gabrielle was going to try and do to him next. To his surprise, all she did was put her arms around his waist, and rest her head on his shoulder, her energy apparently spent on her advances. Smiling to himself, Christian began the long drive home.

Edge was practically waiting to pounce on her when she came home, but Christian carefully explained what had happened, as Edge look blankly at him.

"But you didn't actually.." Christian shook his head,

"No. I'd never." Edge nodded.

"Good. Thanks for taking care of her, Christian. And thanks for not taking advantage of the situation." He smiled and decided to take Gabrielle from Christian.

"Edge….just let her sleep." He called out after his brother, who was carefully helping Gabrielle upstairs.

"I had no other intentions." He remarked, sighing as they reached her room, and the set her on the bed pulling up a chair, creating an all too familiar mockery of her first night feeding.

"Edge.." she said, voice shaking. He took her hand and answered.

"Yes, Gabrielle?"

"I'm so tired…"

"Lay down Gabrielle. Go to sleep." She shook her head slowly.

"No. I don't want to. I want to stay up with you."

"Please, just sleep. I'll stay right here, beside you. You need to sleep." His eyes pleaded with her, but she gazed back almost unaware. 

"I want to stay up. I was thinking about something.."

"About what happened with Christian?" she mouthed his name and shook her head again.

"No, you. I realised that I don't know anything about you. Can you tell me? All of it?" Gabrielle asked, hope in her voice and eyes. As Edge stared into those eyes, he felt pain well up in him. He had been over this moment in his mind so many times, and was somehow not prepared for it. So he just sat, staring down at her hand enclosed in his and prayed they both forgot. He opened his mouth not knowing what to say, but hearing something Jeff had told him. You owe it to her. Jeff's voice rang through Edge's head. of course he was right, and he owed Gabrielle that and so much more. But if he couldn't accept his past, how could Gabrielle?

"Gabrielle…" he began, "I'm not ready. I can't tell you."

"Why?" her voice had the curiosity of a child.

"Because I need to face it first. I need…I need a release from it before I can tell anyone."

"Oh." She lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle. I'm really sorry. But there are things I can't even understand myself, and I just - Time. I need time." She nodded slowly, and squeezed his hand. "Thank you." He said, trying to smile. 

"Its okay. I owe it to you." She remarked, before letting his hand fall, and turning over to sleep. Edge pondered her words, and couldn't help but notice her bitterness in her last phrase, but he never left her side.

Jeff nodded wordlessly, listening to Christian tell him about the night's events.

"And you're sure it was just the alcohol in the blood? Maybe you both slipped…"

"No, because even after I knew what was happening, she kept trying to get at me." He sighed.

"So you feel like you can't trust yourself around her anymore?" It was more of a statement rather than a question.

"Exactly. I mean, I would do anything with her, in a second. But I don't know if I can take her out hunting anymore. We could have easily gone further."

"But you didn't." Jeff pointed out.

"That's hardly the point."

"But it could be, Christian. You showed restraint. You respect her relationship with Edge too much to let anything happen. You should be happy."

"Then why don't I feel happy? Why do I feel like I'm being torn up every time I see them?"

"You love her too much. You may have been with her in the past, but you're not now."

"But I can be. In a second, I can be. I could have been tonight, but I wasn't. And I don't understand why." Christian sighed, and looked at Jeff who was deep in thought.

"Don't ask questions, Christian. Not too many. Just accept it. You cannot have Gabrielle." Christian's eyes hardened towards Jeff, and he abruptly left the room.

__

Pages - A Diary Interlude Pt. One.

Wow. I feel just like a little kid writing a diary again. I used to have one back home. They've probably found it by now too. I wonder what's happening there anyway? It could be a full scale search of Toronto and the surrounding area, for a kidnapped girl. Or maybe they just think I ran away. This is actually the first I've thought about it at all. The runaway idea sounds plausible. A happy content teenager who'd had enough of life as a normal girl and decides to run away from it all. Happens everyday, right? I hope they're not actually going through all my notebooks. God, now they must thing I'm a closet goth. All those poems and stories about vampires and death and such. Now they think I ran away and killed myself. What a selfish thing to do.

I don't quite know what possessed me to write this. I could probably just tell all of this to Jeff and he wouldn't say a word. He's great that way. A great listener. An great company all the time. Or maybe I like him because he has no deep feelings or mystical connections with me. He's the only one in the house who isn't competing for my undying affection. How pathetically self absorbed does that sound? Well, its true. Edge is my soulmate, Christian used to be my lover or something like that in another life. And then there's Matt. Am I ever glad he's gone. I know that sounds terrible, but he did just complicate matters. And now I have to decided who I love, Edge or Christian. Right. That's like deciding on chocolate or ice cream, except that I can always splurge and go for chocolate ice cream. Wouldn't it be nice if somehow, Edge and Christian could be rolled into one little package, and dually enjoyed? Ah, the solution to all my problems. Maybe I can play the part of a mad scientist and splice some genes. Well, to sound like an old person, I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too. Stupid old phrase. I wonder if whoever first said that is rolling over in their grave? They should be. I bet before them, I could have had all the cake I wanted, ate it too. I don't see why I have to choose. We can have shifts. Tomorrow, its Edge, today, is Christian. That would indeed work well. Though I'm not sure they'd feel great about sharing me. I hate decisions. Screw this. Maybe I'll let the dark horse win and run away with Jeff. No one would expect that. Fuck. Speaking of, I almost did just that to Christian yesterday in an alley. Last night. He thinks I don't remember, or something like that. Granted, I wasn't acting of my own will, but I enjoyed it as much as he didn't. He told Edge too. I was standing right there. Its odd, being in the daze after drinking blood. Its almost like a dream. You know, you can see everything, hear everything, but you can't control it. I'm guessing it's the same for all the other vampires. Christian says it lasts longer with me because I'm young. The same thing with Jeff too. When we go out together, its awful. Neither of us have enough bearing to do anything after we feed, so we just end up standing there and staring at each other for a good while. That's probably why I like going out with Christian. He's so careful when he picks out the person, and he always makes sure I'm okay after. And he puts his arm around me, and we walk away. How could I not want to be with him? He's so perfect, mentally, and physically. I can hear the music coming from his room now. Its Pearl Jam. Black. He's been in there listening to it all day. He's hung up on something. He's stuck. I think Edge went out to get some movies. He wants to finally make love to me tonite. And went am I do going to do? Let him. What else can I do? And I'm going to damn well enjoy every second of it.

Gabrielle

Appropriately enough, the song was called Black. And It had been playing in Christian's room for the whole day. It wasn't usual that he holed himself up in his room as of late, but he had been there all day, the lyrics drumming over and over in his mind.

Twisted thoughts that spin round my head I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning How quick the sun can,

drop away

And the words meant so much, the song described everything. He had long ago stolen Pearl Jam's Live on Two Legs from the massive cd collection that both Jeff and Gabrielle had amassed in two months, which was being added to daily. He had never been one to pay much attention to music, but the lyrics of this particular group had shaken his soul. He could find personal meaning in every song, but choose Black as his favourite. Laying on the bed all day, listening to the song repeat over and over didn't help a single thing within him, but the song was so beautiful and made so much sense. No one bothered him, not his brother, not Jeff, and surprisingly not even Gabrielle, whom he expected to see at his door in the early hours of the day. Earlier he had heard a bike speed off somewhere. It could have been Edge, but he didn't care. And it wasn't Gabrielle, because he could still feel her presence in the room next door. Christian could have easily gone and seen her but he didn't. He just lay on the bed, eyes closed listening to the lyrics that felt like a painful homecoming.

I know some day you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star, in somebody else's sky, but why

why can't it be in mine

And in that instant, the second those words passed, there came a soft knock at the door and Christian didn't want to let her in. Once before, he had pushed her away and they ended up in each others arms for the better part of the day. Maybe it was knowing that that could happen again and knowing that he couldn't really see her in the same light, that compelled him to ignore the soft knocks, now becoming louder and more persistent.

"I know you're in there. You've had the same song playing all day. Now let me in." Gabrielle's voice floated into his room over the music and he still did not want to let her in. So he lay still and said nothing, even when she opened the door and crept in, seeing him lying on the bed, clad only in black jeans. She loomed over him and stared. There was nothing in his face she could read, nothing in his eyes that showed emotion. Probably because he refused to look at her. Looking at her would mean he might have to come to terms with the loss, accept it and move on. He didn't want that yet.

"Christian, I know every last word to this song, and I know why you've been listening to it." He remained perfectly still and emotionless. "Stop doing this to me! I didn't do anything."

"Gabrielle, I love you and - "

"Goddammit, Christian!" Gabrielle yelled and startled him somewhat. "Do you think I don't already know that? I can see it in your eyes, I can hear it in your voice, and I can feel it inside of you! But I can't do anything about it right now!"

"Its hard for me - "

"You don't think its fucking hard for me too! You've only got one person to deal with. I have you and Edge who both say you love me and I have to choose! Why? Because you're making me. You're making me choose between the two people I love most in this world and I can't deal with it. So next time you decide to go all depressed and sentimental then maybe I shouldn't care, alright? Maybe I'll have made my choice by then, and I won't care. Or maybe I should just tell everyone to fuck off, you, Edge and the rest of the world, so I won't have to make any decisions, any choices, ever again." She stopped to take a breath, and said quietly, "And I wish I could hate you for it." With that, she stormed out of his room, leaving him to ponder his last words, which made him finally turn off the stereo.

"What was that all about?" Jeff asked quietly as always, sitting beside her on the front steps.

"Them. Me. Everything I live for."

"Oh. They're making you choose. You don't have to you know." She glanced at him questioningly. "You don't have to justify whatever decision you decide to make. Just do what feels right." Gabrielle leaned in and kissed Jeff, leaving him surprised. 

"What was that for?" He asked, slowly.

"To see if it felt right."

"Did it?" she scrunched up her nose.

"No. It felt like I was kissing my best friend." He laughed.

"Good. It just felt weird." She smiled at him and sighed.

"Well, at least I know for sure that I've only got two to choose from." She gazed out over the drive way as Edge came back on his motorcycle, rented movies in tow. Jeff leaned over her.

"He's got movies. I think someone's gonna get laid on the couch…" he finished in a childish tone. She turned around and shot him a disgusted glance, and playfully hit his shoulder, as Edge came walking up to them.

"So what did you get?" she called out, running to meet him halfway and standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. He smiled at her.

"Ah, Gabrielle, we have a night of classics. The Evil Dead Trilogy."

"Mmm….Bruce Campbell. Yummy." She remarked, grabbing the videos from him and running into the house, leaving Edge shaking his head, and Jeff biding him good luck on his conquest.

"Make me some coffee?" Gabrielle whined, curled up next to Edge on the couch. They were only halfway through the first movie, and she was already restless. They had both seen the movie more than ten times over the course of their respective lives apart. Gabrielle swore she would watch it, but found her attention drifting off towards other things before everyone was even dead, and only two people were evil. Edge smirked down at her.

"Why coffee? It'll just keep you up all night?" she laughed.

"And isn't that what you wanted?" he furrowed his brow at her, and did his best to look confused.

"Why, no. there are so many other things I want…"

"No, Edge." He sighed heavily.

"Was it that obvious?"

"Yea, actually. Even Jeff figured it out."

"Oh." He lowered his eyes and tried to look hurt. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't try making me feel sorry for you. Its not gonna get you anywhere. Just make me some coffee, please?" he put his hand over her mouth.

"Don't whine, Gabrielle. It sounds so childish. I'll make coffee...but what's in it for me?" he added, wide grin spreading across his face.

"I think you know…" Gabrielle said in a low voice, smiling seductively. He kissed the top of her head and brought his hand around the back of her neck, titling her head up towards his. Her eyes met his expectantly, and he stared right back, purposefully doing nothing but bringing his head down extremely slowly, and stopping just short of her mouth. His other hand came up to stroke her cheek lightly, and finally pull her face to his and engulf her in an utterly primal kiss that left them both breathless. As he nipped softly at her neck, Gabrielle diverted his attention.

"Edge…..coffee?" he groaned and pulled away.

"but, Gabrielle…do you really need the coffee?"

"Yes!" she shot him a shocked glance. "I have a craving for coffee. I need it!" Edge raised his eyebrows.

"And I need something else, but I have a feeling I'm not going to get it anytime soon."

"Oh shut up. You know you'll get it." He rose and took her hands.

"Is that a promise?"

"You bet your sorry ass it is. And I'm coming to the kitchen with you."

"Aw, why? I'll just end up with my mind on something other than making coffee. You do still want coffee?" she stood up, and began pulling him into the kitchen.

"yea, and I'm gonna get my coffee. I'm just gonna help."

"Oh great." He rolled his eyes. "Like that's gonna do me any good." She leaned against the doorframe as he entered the kitchen, stopping for a moment to eye her.

"Get in the damned kitchen, boy!" she said playfully, smiling at him but still just standing in the doorway.

"You just going to stand there and watch?"

"You have no idea how sexy it is for a man to make you food, do you?"

"Well, I've never actually felt that way myself, but I suppose from your point of view it may be."

Gabrielle walked over to him and stood on her toes to whisper into his ear.

"Make me my damn coffee or I'll go ballistic on you." Finishing off by biting his earlobe lightly, she moved away to sit on the counter, directly in his way. When he shot her a nasty glance, she smiled slyly. "Work around me."

Edge shook his head, trying to avoid her bemused gaze as he tried to make coffee without getting distracted. This proved hard. When he reached up to go into the cupboard directly over her head, he was met with her chest in his face, and when he went to open the lower cupboard, her legs and other parts of her lower anatomy were directly in his face.

"My god, Gabrielle, why don't you just lay naked across the kitchen table? At least then I could avert my eyes and attempt to keep my mind on the task at hand." Gabrielle just blinked at him.

"you mean…what am I in the way? How so?" she said in mock innocence, as he threw the coffee filters on the floor.

"Screw this." He said, standing before her, and lifting her from the counter.

"You better." She said, coyly as he carried her to the long bench seat in the corner of the kitchen, just under the window. He set her down ,and they both stood. Edge bent his head, nuzzling her neck, and biting at it softly as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders. His hands deftly pulled her shirt over her head, and he gently kissed the flesh of her shoulders as he undid, and tossed her bra aside. He drew back for a second to look at her, then brought his hand up to caress one breast, his mouth descending on the other. Gabrielle let out a surprised gasp and arched towards him. He soon repeated the teasing torture with his mouth on her other breast, and used his free hand to unbutton her jeans, sliding them down past her hips, taking what she wore beneath with them. Releasing her breast from his mouth, he kissed down to her navel, swirling his tongue around the silver stud she wore, and delving further. Gabrielle closed her eyes, and felt him push her down to lay on the cushioned bench, then settling in front of her, hands gently parting her legs. Before settling his head, he glanced up at her, and she looked down at him, silently pleading for him to continue. He grinned wildly, dipping his head down, tongue searching out her clit, and darting around it. Instinctively, Gabrielle's hands reached down and entwined in his silky hair, pushing him closer as she felt something well up inside her. Edge lightly flicked his tongue over her throbbing clit before drawing it into his mouth and sucking on it gently. She tilted her hips upwards, and then suddenly pulled at his hair, urging him up. Edge heard her breathless plea.

"Please, Edge…I can't wait…please…" A sensuous smile spread across his face as he stood up and disrobed, then rested half on top of her, gazing into her eyes.

"This might hurt you, and I'm sorry but- " She silenced him with a kiss, rocking her hips up against his. He buried his head on her shoulder, and eased himself in to her, stopping as he heard a small wince of pain. "You okay?" he asked, breath becoming laboured. She nodded, and closed her eyes as he withdrew and thrust into her, slowly and deeply, creating friction. Gabrielle moaned his name softly, arching against him, raking her nails up and down his back as his rhythm and pace increased. She heard a rumbling in his chest as he started to pound harder into her, and she met his thrusts with the same frenzied pace, a pace only unnatural bodies could stand. She cried out loudly, bucking upwards as she clenched on him, and then she could do nothing but gasp as she felt Edge erupt inside of her, thrusting briefly to prolong their passion before collapsing on top of her, breathless. Edge kissed her neck lightly, feeling the insatiable hunger that always followed sex.

"Gabrielle?" he asked breathing heavily, "Can - Can I drink from you?" she nodded weakly and pressed his head to her throat, feeling his teeth gently sink into the flesh. He drank as little as he could to keep him satisfied. He once again collapsed on top of her, silently willing her to put and end to her own hunger and drink from him. Slowly, she brought his wrist up to her lips and bit into his flesh, drinking slowly, taking all she could before he pulled away. Edge carefully rolled beside her, and drew Gabrielle into his arms, both spend of all energy. Faintly as she rested her head on his chest, covered with a thin veil of sweat, she could hear the dull sound of a chainsaw from the movie. Sleepily, she glanced outside.

"Look….its snowing…." She murmured, before they both fell asleep.

Jeff walked into the kitchen, fairly early in the morning and chuckled under his breath, seeing Gabrielle and Edge, entangled in each others arms, still laying naked under the bench seat by the window. He walked into the living room, procuring the wool blanket that perpetually rested on the back of the couch, and returned to the kitchen, throwing it over them. Edge stirred, blinking his eyes open and glancing around. Seeing Jeff in the kitchen, he blinked again, then looked down at Gabrielle in his arms.

"Didn't have the strength to take her upstairs?" Jeff drawled, as Gabrielle opened her eyes and snuggled against Edge, under the blanket closing her eyes once again, sighing lightly as she did so. Edge shook her gently.

"Gabrielle?"

"Yes?" she answered, sleepily.

"Um, we're still in the kitchen…" her eyes flew open and she glanced around.

"Well so we are…Hi Jeff." She said, noticing him leaning on the counter. He laughed softly and shook his head then pointed to the floor beneath them, at their clothes. 

"I imagine you'll want to get dressed?" she blushed and Edge smirked. "Its okay, I'll leave for a bit." He said, walked out of the kitchen and into the den, just down the hall. Edge rested himself on his elbows, smiling down at Gabrielle, who looked at the coffee filters, still on the floor, and rose to get dressed.

"You do realise, you never made me coffee…" she said teasingly, pulling her jeans on.

"Yea, but I think last night was a hell of a lot better than any cup of coffee." Reaching down to find her shirt, she smiled at him.

"Indeed it was. Dammit! Where did my shirt go?" he bent down and threw his at her.

"Wear mine. One of the advantages of being in a male dominated society, or house at least. I don't need to wear one of those." She smirked.

"If only." Gabrielle pulled the black t-shirt over her head. "and this house isn't male dominated. I've got you three whipped."

"Like hell you do!" he exclaimed vehemently, standing up in protest, the blanket falling in a pool at his feet. She raised her eyebrows and cocked her head.

"Well, good morning to you too." She gathered his boxers from the floor and tossed them at him. "I highly recommend wearing these, at least for now." He chuckled and put them on, as she picked up the coffee filters and set them on the counter. "Now make me my coffee, and I promise not to get in the way this time."

"See, that I really don't mind at all." Edge said, moving towards her, pinning her back against the counter and kissing her softly.

"Hmmm.." she said, as he moved back a little.

"What?"

"Icky morning breath." Gabrielle said, scrunching up her face. Edge shook his head and laughed softly.

Gabrielle's soft, almost seductive laughter floated into Christian's head. He sensed happiness, but there was an indecisive quality to it. Christian by now knew the events of the night. For a moment, he believed she may have chosen Edge, but the indecision, even in her laugh, proved wrong. The laughter stopped as he heard footsteps. Her footsteps. Christian silently prayed that she wasn't coming to see him. He had no idea of what to say to her at the particular moment. The footsteps stopped outside his door, and he held his breath. Complete and utter silence for a second too long, and the footsteps walked away. Christian was surprised to find himself sigh with relief as she left, and he heard the door to her won room open, accompanied by its slamming, right away followed by almost inaudible, bitter sobs. And just like an overwhelming sense of déjà vu, he was torn. He decided to do the same as he had done on the first day. Christian darted out of his room for the first time in a full day, and walked into Gabrielle's. She was sitting against the bed, head rested on her knees, sobbing lightly. She slowly looked up to see Christian in her doorway. She rose, and he met her halfway across the room, and within a second she found herself enfolded in his arms. How could she be mad at him? He was such a comfort to her, and he didn't even know why she was in tears. He was what she needed. Just comfort. Always there, never mad, despite what she had said. In an instant, she regretted ever being angered with him for something as simple for loving her. And she didn't need to ask to know that she had been long ago forgiven. Barely thinking, she almost made her decision, but stopped for a second. Maybe she really didn't need to choose one or the other. There had to be a way to have both. They offered so much, so many different things. But convincing them she was right would prove difficult.

__

Pages - A Diary Interlude Pt. Two

Its odd that fire can destroy my thoughts on this paper, but it can't touch me. I've decided to burn this once I'm done writing it. Maybe for closure, maybe because the old Pagan rituals of my family still run though me, or maybe because I like the metaphor. I'm still not entirely sure what went through my head an hour ago. I was in Christian's arms when I had a sudden epiphany, I could be with both of them, if I figured out a way to tell them. It was odd, when I pulled out back out of Christian's embrace. He gave me the smallest kiss of the cheek. It was pure innocence. Like him, I guess. Christian is my comfort and Edge is my everything else. He's said before that words can't describe it, and I've never really thought about it, but he is right. Its one of those things you don't think about. Its just there. Like blinking, or breathing. Even blind people blink, and even the living dead have to breathe. Edge is so sweet when he talks about it. He just gets this look in his eyes that like – another hard thing to describe. Almost like his life stands before him, hanging in the balance, not desperation, not joy, but almost a sweet, thankful sadness. It's how Christian looked at me once, when he tried to convince me of our past. And now, I suppose I'll get that look in my eyes when I try to convince them of our future. And here I go. So wish me luck.

Gabrielle

Walking downstairs to the den, papers in hand, Gabrielle felt the warmth from the fire the second she stepped into the room. Jeff sat in a high backed leather chair, pad of paper rested on one leg, furiously scrawling something. Gabrielle walked past him, sighed and tossed the papers into the fireplace. He glanced up at her.

"Why are you burning those?" he asked with curiosity.

"Because I can. And I don't want anyone to see them."

"You shouldn't be ashamed of anything you write." He said, almost sternly. Gabrielle stood, facing the fireplace, hand rested on the mantel.

"Something's I have every right to be ashamed of." She turned around and gazed at him. "Remember when you said that I didn't have to choose? I think I feel the same now." She sighed and walked over to the couch beside Jeff, sitting down. "But I don't know how to tell them. I don't know how to do it. Any ideas?" he smiled and sat down his paper.

"I honestly don't know, but we'll have to think of something. I keep remembering that one night - everyone in the house was happy. It was the best feeling anyone could ask for."

"How can you be happy though? I mean - "

"Gabrielle, I am happy. This is what I've always wanted. To be a fully functional part of a family. A whole family. I have it now, and I couldn't be happier."

"If it was that simple for all of us.." Gabrielle remarked, quietly.

"Well, I am going to find away to get that back. There has to be some way…" He sat, thinking. They both sat in silence, running possible plans through their heads over and over. Thus far, nothing worked.

"Just tell them." Jeff said, suddenly, jerking Gabrielle out of her own thoughts. She blinked at him.

"Just outright tell them, 'I want to be with you both,'? Are you sure?" she asked, sceptically. He shrugged.

"its worth a shot. What have you got to lose?" she shot a dark glance at him.

"I could lose one of them…or both. I don't think I want to take that chance."

"You have to. Its fate. You've been brought this far, and you have to take the next step." Gabrielle bit her lip and looked at Jeff.

"Will you help?" he smiled warmly at her.

"You don't need to ask."

It had been weeks since her decision, and Gabrielle still hadn't told Christian or Edge. Daily, Jeff reminded her that they had to be told and daily, she put it off. There were more important things happening, more specifically, Christian's increasing sensitivity to daylight. He could only stand a few hours of it at a time, usually no more than two. And Edge was the same way. They both now avoided the light as much as possible. It pained them just to look upon a sunlit room. Not a week later, Jeff was experiencing the same problems. Gabrielle could only watch helplessly, knowing that within weeks, or even days, she would never be able to enjoy the warm sun on her face, never see Edge's face illuminated but the early morning sun, never see Christian's hair dancing with the highlights of the late afternoon sun as they sat in the café. It almost sealed their fates. They couldn't pretend they were mortals anymore, walking the streets among them. They were what they were. Vampires and nothing could be done. There was no one else they could seek out for answers. More important than all that, Gabrielle and Edge's daily ritual of watching the sun rise in each others arms would never happen again. In four months, they had missed only two dawns together, and now they would miss an eternity. It seems as if their immortal fate was indeed sealed, and the final blow dealt. They could never go back.

Gabrielle saw Edge gazing at the mid afternoon sun, and crept up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He remained still, except for moving his hands over hers and sighing.

"I'm going to miss it so much. Never seeing that pure radiant color. Never." She rested her head as far up on his shoulder as it would reach.

"I wish I could make it stay at this time forever. Its so perfect.." Twilight loomed was looming perilously close. It would be his and Christian's last vision on the sun in the lives. And Gabrielle had vowed to give up the sun if they had to. Edge spun around, forcing her to release her grasp around him, while he took her in his arms.

"Its our last." He remarked, sombrely, tears looming in his eyes. Gabrielle stared at the horizon from the window, and settled back into his arms. As the sky grew paler, Christian joined them, standing silently beside the pair, his face illuminated by the last descending rays of sun, before they were consumed by the darkness that the entire house now resided in. For Edge, it was anti-climatic. Somewhere in him, he dreamed his last sunset would be a thing of unsurpassed beauty, to be marvelled at for years to come. It was the exact opposite. Just a sunset, nothing special about it whatsoever. For Gabrielle, it was the most final thing she had ever experienced. Her dreams and wishes for a normal mortal life were destroyed as the last rays became dull and lifeless in the sky. She now had to face what she was, and what she always would be. Christian saw the sunset as perfect and childhood mythology intertwined. He no longer had to be confused about what he was. He drank blood, and the sun burned his skin. He was a true vampire at last, no more hovering between mortality and immortality. And Jeff, who had felt the sun go down also felt the confusion lift. They were, and always would be vampires. The stuff of mortal myths and horror movies. it was decided as the darkness overtook the house. Innocence was gone. Darkness descended and engulfed them.

__

Pages - A Diary Interlude Pt. Three

We can't see the light anymore. Its gone, and none of us know why. I guess Matt, wherever he is can't walk in the sun either. The dark has always been something evil, almost uncertain. And I can feel it ripping through me, trying to find a way out, and I can feel it trying to consume everyone else in this house. If it gets through, then I guess we become the stuff of legends, novels and movies. We pass into fiction. I don't want that. I want to keep pretending I'm mortal, to be normal, to pretend to be real. Not fiction! Its not fair. All I ever wanted and if I have to be some evil, demonic thing to get there, then I don't want it. I think I'm starting to forget little things about when I was a kid. Just little things like - see? I can't even begin to remember a single detail anymore. If I forget a single thing about those I love, I don't think I could stand it. As long as I lived a normal life, I cherish my memories from this one more than anything. I don't want to lose them. If I can't remember every detail, every little thing, then its just not worth it. And I need to tell them before I forget. I can't write anymore. I don't have anything else to say. I'm burning this too, in case you were wondering, whoever you are.

Gabrielle

Edge wasn't the same since coming out of the light. He spend more time alone than ever. There had always been a struggle between two sides within him, and now it was even harder. The primal side was fuelled by the darkness, slowly pushing him past control. More than once, he had snapped at Gabrielle without meaning too, and she always forgave him. Gabrielle couldn't know what was going on within him, as much as he couldn't know of her own struggle. The darkness was starting to win over in all of them, and with as much patience and understanding that they possessed, it wasn't enough. They would soon each become solitary creatures, who couldn't stand each other. But, for a short time, they had a family. And the time was shorter than any had imagined.

"Gabrielle, why do you keep reading those?" Christian asked gently, sitting beside her on the bed, tossing aside one of many piles of books. All vampire books, of some sort, be it fiction, essays, or what was deemed as 'true accounts'.

"I might find answers." She replied, impatiently, not taking her eyes off of the small, thin book titled 'The Truth of Vampires'.

"Not in there. Its trash. How can a 26 year old author know more about our kind than we do?" She didn't respond, and Christian sighed. "We need to find another of our kind." Gabrielle's eyes darted up.

"Where? The only others we ever knew were Matt and Gangrel….but Gangrel's dead, and Matt's elsewhere."

"No….there was another that Edge knew - "

"What? Where, Christian?" he lowered his eyes.

"I don't think - "

"I need to know!" she screamed, slamming the book down. "I want to know what's happening to us! I don't want it to change…" Christian looked at her as she sat, eyes fixed elsewhere, a look of pathetic desperation in them. "I don't want this." 

"Gabrielle, this is nothing….its evolution."

"Its not!" She retorted sharply. "I feel like I'm regressing. I don't want it, Christian!" Gabrielle looked at him pleadingly. "I just need to find out." He took her hand and patted it reassuringly.

"I know. But I don't think I can betray Edge. This other vampire - it was a long time ago to him. If he wants to tell you, he will."

"but - Christian, please!" With the sweep of his arm, he cleared the bed of the books and gestured for her to lay down.

"You need sleep. You've been caught up in those books now for days." He said, soothingly, ignoring her half-hearted protests and excuses. She rested her head on the pillow and opened her mouth to say something, but was quieted as Christian put a finger to her lips.

"Shhh. Of Course I'm going to stay with you, Gabrielle." He whispered, drawing her into his arms and capturing her in a sweet, enthralling kiss that never seemed to end.

As he wrote the letter slowly, making sure every word was perfect, Edge could feel the darkness overtaking him. By his last words, he knew the battle was lost, and so he left the house, never to return in his mind at least, leaving the letter siting on the kitchen table, awaiting Gabrielle's eyes.

Jeff had vaguely heard the door over the music in the den. He suspected nothing, but thought it odd that no one had told him they were leaving, or asked if he wanted to join. Walking down the hall and peering out the window, he could see Edge speeding away on his bike, and heard his thoughts.

Tell her I love her, and there's a note in the kitchen.

And that was all. Jeff walked slowly to the kitchen and saw the note on the table. It hadn't been folded. He picked it up and looked at the writing. A rushed scrawl filled the page, and it was clear that Edge had been rushed as he penned it. Reading the words once quickly, Jeff swore softly, replaced the letter, and went to get Gabrielle.

Waking up and stirring slightly, Gabrielle felt Christian's arms wrapped protectively around her. Memories of the gentle sweetness with which he had worshipped her body and the silken feel of his skin against hers flooded her head. she could still taste his blood on her lips. Gabrielle settled back in his arms, and felt his grip grow tighter.

"Love you, Gabrielle." He murmured, voice heavy with sleep, softly kissing her forehead. She felt tendrils of his hair brush across her face, and smiled to herself.

"I love you to, Christian." She whispered as he fell asleep again. Before drifting of to sleep herself, she heard the front door open and close, but she wasn't concerned. She had Christian, and nothing else mattered for the moment.

Gabrielle, 

I know that if you're reading this, I'm already gone. I don't want you to look for me. And I don't want you to be mad. You need to understand that I had to go. The darkness, the rage, its consuming me, and no one deserves to be around me. It used to be temporary, but when you see this, it will be forever. I just want to let you know that I love you, I always have, and I will never let you go. But I can't stay and hurt you. You can be with Christian now. You deserve each other. Be happy.

Edge

Christian jumped at the knock on the door. He looked down at Gabrielle, who was fast asleep in his arms. There was a knock again, and she stirred, before settling back.

"What?" Christian said as quietly as possible.

"I need to talk to Gabrielle. " was the muffled response from the other side of the door.

"Jeff? You can come in then." Christian said, gently shaking Gabrielle's arm, in an attempt to wake her up. She just rolled over. Jeff walked in the room and stood, resting his head against a bedpost at the end. "Gabrielle? Get up, love." Christian said softly, leaning over to her.

"Why?" Christian glanced over at Jeff, who sighed.

"There's something downstairs you need to see, Gabrielle." She raised her head and looked at Jeff.

"I heard the door shut. Did Edge leave?" she asked slowly.

"Please, you have to come downstairs before I tell you anything." His eyes pleaded with her, and Christian's forehead creased in thought. Gabrielle reluctantly drew back the covers and tossed on the first clothes she could find on the floor, following Jeff downstairs. Upon reaching the kitchen, Jeff pointed to the letter on the table, and with a questioning glance, Gabrielle walked to the table and picked it up. Her eyes devoured the text once, then again before letting it slip out of her hands and fall with a soft rustle to the floor.

"Oh…" she remarked, pain constricting her throat, preventing her from saying more as she sank down to her knees beside where the letter had fallen. Christian watched from the doorway, unable to understand what was happening, until he walked over and picked up the letter. He stared at it as the words began to form and take meaning, then stared down at Gabrielle, who had no visible reaction. She stared back at him, a shocked look beginning to take form on her face.

"I didn't know…" she said, quietly. "Why didn't he let me know?" Christian sank to his knees beside her, and looked at her face. She had quickly passed on from the shock to a blank, stoic look. Jeff moved closer, pulling a chair out from the table and sitting before them.

"Gabrielle, he wants you to know he loves you. It was the last thing he said to me." She shook her head, unable to comprehend the thoughts. If he loved her, why did he have t go? Surely, she could have helped him get past the darkness and rage within. Blankly, she felt Christians arms reach around and gather her close, trying to comfort. But she couldn't feel anything at all. Not for Edge's departure, and nothing for Christian. She couldn't react because she didn't know how. 

Gabrielle remained silent for the better part of the remaining night, but she had moved off of the kitchen floor. She sat on the bench seat, looking out the window at blackness. It seemed that's all there was. Christian had patiently tried to explain to her that Edge had a tendency to run off for a while on his own, and he would come back. Gabrielle still hadn't responded.

"He's done this before, and he's always back. He just needs time to himself." Christians hands were wrapped around an almost blisteringly hot mug of coffee as he sat beside her. He had set down a mug for her, but it remained untouched. It was black.

Jeff had sifted through the house restlessly, unable to commit himself to doing anything. Once again, he found himself in the kitchen, looking at a worn out Christian, and at Gabrielle, the same as she had been before.

"She's not responding to anything. She's not hearing me." Jeff thought for a moment.

"Well, she could be in shock, or something like that. I know how you must be used to your brother leaving, but she's only ever been away from him for 2 days, if that." He glanced at Gabrielle. "Its so final, the way he left."

"But he will be back. He always comes back." Christian said, with hope in his voice more for Gabrielle than himself. A look of uncertainty grew on Jeff's face.

"I don't know…"

"He won't." came a ragged worn voice, out of the brief silence. The boldness and stark truth in Gabrielle's voice startled Christian. "Did you read the letter? He's gone." Her eyes fixed themselves into the deep black pool of coffee before her.

"He said the same of you once, " Christian said sharply, "And you came back."

"But he won't. You know, don't you Jeff?" she asked, cocking her head and looking at Jeff, who lowered his gaze. "See? And it doesn't matter anymore." Christian glanced sideways at her, astonished by her words. "I want to go out."

"But - "****

"I'm hungry. I want to hunt." She ignored Christians interjections, and protest. He sighed and rose not wanting to let her out, but knowing there wasn't much he could do.

Instead of feeding, Gabrielle sat at the bar, lying about her age which didn't matter at all anyway, and drank. Christian, who had gone out with her let her do as she pleased. If that was how she wanted to act, then he would just sit and watch. Morning was dawning, and the patrons of the small bar along Chartres were filing out, back to their musty hotel rooms, and crammed houses. When Gabrielle first sat at the bar and asked for an entire bottle of Chartreuse, the barkeep raised his eyebrows. Chartreuse was rarely consumed at all anymore, and he wondered why she wanted it, as he reached under the bar for the bottle, pulling out the green and gold decorated bottle of bright green stuff. It was native to New Orleans, the patron drink of Chartres street, made of a thousand herbs, giving it a bright greenish hue, and a choking, stinging but sweet taste of Altars. Legend had it, if you drank enough your eyes would take on the green colour. Romanticising the legend, Christian took the bottle away from Gabrielle, examining its half finished contents and he almost expected to be caught off guard by a glowing greenness resonating from her face. There was none, and two tired, red rimmed brown eyes started at him, vaguely wondering why he had taken the bottle away.

"I'm closing up now." The man behind the bar who looked more than an accountant with a night job said, grabbing the money Christian had set down on the bar. "Is she gonna be okay, kid? I mean, I haven't seen anyone order a bottle of that stuff for years, and even then, its only around Mardi Gras time." He looked at Christian, who started to coax Gabrielle off of the high stool.

"She'll be fine. I'll get her home, and everything will be fine."

"I sure hope so." The barkeep said, escorting the pair to the door. "Whatever the hell happened, get it resolved. I know she's not 19 by the way, but I also know that sometimes you have to believe peoples lies."

"Thanks. I don't know if it helped, but thanks, at least for the Chartreuse. I haven't seen any around for a long time." They walked out the door, Christian with the half empty bottle in one hand, and supporting Gabrielle with the other, as the walked to the car.

A figure stepped out from the furthest booth in the bar and stood in front of the barkeep.

"That was the one my friend left?"

"If the one your friend left is a seventeen year old vampire named Gabrielle, then yes." The figure ran long, thin fingers with short, black nails over the fading wood of the bar.

"Excellent." He said, rough British accented voice thick with whatever he had been drinking. "Edge - " he called, as Edge walked from the same booth, and stood beside him. "That was her." The man smiled. "She's old fashioned Edge. She drinks old drinks. You want her with us?" A ruthless, cruel smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched Edge's eyes become hungry.

"Yes." Edge replied, as his tongue flicked quickly over his lips. "I want her again. I want to taste her."

His companion smiled, and turned his head to the barkeep.

"Well, it doesn't appear that you'll be getting Gabrielle tonight. Will he do?" At his gesture, the man behind the bar tensed, and his eyes grew wide, as Edge beamed sinisterly.

"yea…." He said, hopping swiftly over the bar and punching the barkeep out, before taking his blood from his beck. As the other vampire followed suit, and latched onto the man's wrist, they killed. Lifting his head, the vampire sighed and let the cold dead wrist fall.

"Just like old times." He mused, as Edge began to raid the cupboards of liquor bottles, taking as many as the could carry and the remaining two bottles of Chartreuse. It had always burned his soul.

Bottles clattered around on the bottom of the black Van. The back windows were darkly tinted and blocked out the sun. Black paint, save for a few carefully chipped of circles, stopped the sun from streaming through into the front. Edge sat in the passenger's seat, half-finished bottle of vodka loosely gripped in his hands, while his companion, affectionately known for the past few hundred years as Nobody, drove recklessly, throwing his own empty bottle into the back, hearing it land on the ever growing pile. This, Edge thought, is what I've been missing, and this is my life. They sped along the stretch of road leading to the flat Nobody had inhabited for the past 10 years he had spent in New Orleans. It was dark, disgusting, rancid, and above all, it was home. The wheels screeched as Nobody turned into the alley that provided the makeshift parking garage and the least sunlit entrance. Almost knocking over Edge's bike, Nobody stopped short of making contact, and before the van came to a full stop, Edge stumbled out and fell into the door leading to the apartment. Nobody followed, tripping on his long leather jacket as they ascended the stairs. Drinking once more from the bottle before throwing it against the wall, Edge pushed open the door. Once inside, he threw aside the random debris on the couch, and lay face up, tracing brown water stains on the ceiling, and likening them to the clouds he would never see. Nobody flung himself onto the chair without moving a thing, and consequently, sitting on plates, and cups, and also not caring. All his mortal life, and half of his vampiric one, he had been forced to live a Spartan existence, but since coming to the 'colonies' more than a hundred years ago, he had more than made up for it.

"You have any food?" edge asked, aware of a dim hunger worming its way out. Nobody shrugged.

"Fucked if I know."

"We need food."

"No, we don't." Nobody shot back, tossing Edge a bottle of whatever lay beside him. He caught it, and downed the remainder.

"But I think we need food."

"Shit, Edge, we don't. You wanna live here, then no food, got it?" Edge mumbled something, and Nobody made a weak attempt to stand. "Besides, when you're always drunk, you don't need food, smarts, or any of that other boring shit. All you need is more alcohol, blood, the occasional lay, and someone to drive you around. And we have them all. My boy, we have got it made once again." Edge groaned.

"I haven't had so much to drink since the last time I stayed here." Nobody laughed harshly.

"Well, at least its one thing you can count it. Getting pissed until you can't think. It's a damn better life than all of that sticky sweet love crap you were telling me about." He stopped to light a cigarette. "I for one am glad you left that moody little bitch that drove you away. Now you can live how vampires are meant to." He grinned at Edge, who reciprocated his smile, anticipating the next nights events, and maybe a little revenge.

'…These rubber pants are hot.'

'You wear them until you learn Ralphie…'

Jeff chuckled under his breath and returned to changing channels with a speed and frequency that only males seemed to possess. The front door swung open and Jeff clicked off the television to rise and greet them.

"Jeff - take this." Christian said as Jeff came into his view. Christian held the bottle of Chartreuse out and Jeff eyed it briefly, then took it, noticing Gabrielle unsettlingly looking around, and for a moment he thought the flecks of gold in her eyes had been replaced with green.

"She didn't feed?"

"No, but she did drink. I'm taking her up." Christian began to climb the stairs, half pulling Gabrielle. "And Jeff? You either finish what's in that bottle or put it away for a bit. She doesn't need to be drunk every night." Jeff watched them walk upstairs, and set the bottle on the living room table, wondering just what the hell it was.

"You know Edge, I'm still hungry." Even though his words were slurred, the British accept helped retain a shred of dignity. Nobody stumbled out to the balcony, slightly aware of the sun starting to rise. "I'm used to having someone all to myself, and now I have to share." Edge, still resting on the stained, faded couch groaned.

"Don't fucking complain. You didn't have to. And do you actually think you would have made it out of the bar by yourself after dining on that whole man?" Nobody turned and drew the black curtains. At least the were black now, and somewhat resembled curtains.

"Much as I hate admitting it, you do have a point. And now we have to wait all day for another…" throwing himself down by the television, he turned it on, and left it on some sort of cartoon. "So, do we have an agenda for tomorrow? Shall we grab that bitch Gabrielle of yours, or wait some more?"

"I wanna play with her first." Edge grinned widely. "For a few nights at least, and fuck with her head."

"Great plan. I like it. You were always good at the head games. Do I have a part in this?"

"Nope."

"Bastard." He mumbled, kicking the table and sending bottles of every imaginable size, shape and color flying.

"Get a maid. This place is a mess." Edge remarked, rolling over and falling into a restless drunken sleep once again, the kind of sleep he always seemed stuck in when he was around Nobody.

Gabrielle fought the sleep she was falling into, despite her bodies urge to give in. She lay awake in Christian's embrace, staring at the dark wall ahead of her, and letting the Chartreuse slowly stop its effects. She imagined the green fluid slowing her veins, her mind, lulling her to sleep. Christians chest rose and fell beneath her head. Maybe I should sleep, she thought, noticing how peaceful he looked. But she couldn't sleep. Not without knowing where Edge was. He was changed because she couldn't feel him. No one could. At first Gabrielle was only shocked at his departure, and nothing else. But as the night had worn on, she found herself with a deep sense of longing for Edge. She understood why he had left, but couldn't understand why he didn't talk to her about it.

"Sleep, Gabrielle." She heard Christian say softly, looking at her with concern.

"I can't." Gabrielle responded hopelessly. "I don't know where he is." Christian was silent for a moment, then sighed.

"I think I know who he's with, at least." She sat up, and Christian slowly righted himself as well.

"Tell me."

"Its – its this other vampire that Edge knows. He found Edge after Gangrel threw him out the first time, right after he was made."

"What's his name? What's he like?"

"He doesn't really have a name, that I know of. People call him Nobody. He's – "

"Is Edge safe?"

"Yes. Nobody wouldn't hurt him. They're two of a kind, at least how Edge used to be. Though, " Christian added thoughtfully, "Edge won't be sober as long as he's with Nobody. It was how he lived most of his mortal live, anyway, and the start of his vampiric one." Gabrielle stared down at her hands.

"But – He is okay?"

"Trust me. He's fine. He hasn't lived his old life for more than a year now, but it could do him good. If he loves you, he'll come back." At this, Gabrielle's formerly calm face cracked as she burst into tears before him.

"That's what worries me…" she said between sobs, looking up at Christian before he reached out and crushed her to his chest, stoking her hair lightly, muttering words of comfort, saying everything would be fine, but he had a hard time believing his own words. But he pushed that out of his mind, as he felt Gabrielle let a comforting sleep wash over her and stayed up to watch over her. 

'Sitting in the park in the middle of the night trying to reason what is wrong from what is right.

I am only as you see me

I am lonely till you free me

I'm a passion cry.

Once and then twice to twist the knife

You've loved me and left me to figure out

Your fear of night.

When you love me you confuse me

When you're lonely then you use me

Like a sacrifice.

Everyone here has the Christmas cheer

When the snow starts to fall

Wish they'd get on with the brand new year,

With the comings of the seasons

"I'll be gone and you can reason

Why I left you here."

What I need is a start in another town

Where the people are new and the musicians

Are playing a whole new sound.

But you call me like a siren

When you know there's something dyin'

Deep inside of me.

Sitting in the park in the middle of the night trying to reason what is wrong from what is right.

I am only as you see me

I am lonely till you free me

I'm a passion cry.'

  * Passion Cry – Terry Moore, from Strangers in Paradise #13

__

Pages - A Diary Interlude Pt. Four.

We dream of the generic fun in the sun, but that's not going to happen again. Fuck the sun part, fun doesn't look very promising right now. Edge is gone. As far as I know, forever. It doesn't look like he's coming back anytime soon, but maybe I'm ahead of myself. He has only been gone for three days. There's still time. Christian told me about this other vampire, called Nobody. Edge is probably with him, if history repeats itself. I guess as long as he's safe, then its okay. Except that its not okay, because I'm not supposed to lose him. Not this soon, not this way. If we part, its supposed to be some romantic, movie style goodbye, not this. A note, a fucking note. What am I supposed to do with that? Keep it in my hand forever, never let go, cherish it always? I've got too much sense to do that. At least I hope I would. I think its still on the kitchen floor. I wouldn't know. I've either been in bed with Christian, or watching tv with Jeff for the past few days. Sometimes, I think I can feel Edges breath on my neck, but then its no one. I just wish it were him. Why do people have to leave? Why can't I understand it? I feel so stupid because I should just accept it, or at least pretend to, and let him go. There's always been Christian waiting in the wings. He'll always be there. Maybe I shouldn't think that. I thought the same about Edge, and now he's gone. So, basically, I just cursed myself. Great. Doomed to be alone, the solitary female vampire roams the earth looking for her latest victim to ravage, rape and kill. That in itself doesn't sound like too much of a bad life. It reminds me of this poem I read such a long time ago. The Highwayman it was called. I didn't understand it at the time, probably because I was about 13 or so, but now I do. Stealing into someone's house and killing them, or taking what's theirs. That's what Edge did to me, and I love him for it. He took me, and my life, but if he hadn't, then I wouldn't be writing this, or be awaiting Christian's embrace. Does it sound like I'm using him? I know I'm not, but sometimes that's what it seems like. I love him too much to be using him, right? Oh god, please tell me I'm right. I have to be right. I can't live with myself knowing the opposite. I DO love Christian….but…..oh god….I'm going to stop thinking. I wish I could stop thinking. Its not fair, you know. I have Christian now, but all I can do is question my love for him. So what am I supposed to do now? I should be happy and content and all that other gooey stuff that romance novels are made of, but it just doesn't work. Something doesn't fit. Its like - what's that poem again? I used to know if off by heart. From a comic I used to read about a lesbian, her best friend, and the man that loved them both. I think it went like '…But something's wrong, I feel so rushed. The air we breath, it's not enough…'. Elegant waste and chivalry. That was part of it too. I keep thinking about that line. I feel so rushed. I do. And nothing is enough. I wonder what will become of me. Elegant waste and chivalry? Sounds even better than the ravaging and raping part, doesn't it?

Gabrielle

Edge woke with a start, still on the couch, wondering what had caused him to wake.

"Nobody?" he groaned as he sat up. "Where the fuck are you?" Hearing a muffled voice, Edge followed its direction to see Nobody collapsed in front of the television, which had been shut off, or burnt out.

"Don't call me that anymore." He grumbled, half sitting up.

"Why the hell not? Its your name." Edge pointed out.

"No, Edge it's not." He walked sleepily over to the couch. "Is Edge your name?" he lowered his eyes.

"See? And I don't want to be called Nobody. Its too impersonal." The vampire paused for a moment.

"And it doesn't strike fear in the hearts of everyone around me."

"Well, what did your maker name you?" He glanced sideways at Edge.

"I never told you?" He said quickly, as Edge shook his head. "Well then. I shall bore you with the short version. I was blessed to have a good old fashioned Roman maker, and thus blessed with a good old fashioned Roman name. Cielus Vitalus Angelus. Lovely, isn't it?" He smiled mockingly.

"Bloody long. Means – "

"Sky, life and angel." Edge shot him a questioning glance.

"His idea of a cruel, twisted joke. Glad I killed the bastard." They both laughed a little at this, knowing the feeling of killing the one who made them. Their laughter was cut short by the still present pain in their heads.

"Ow." Edge said, putting a hand to his forehead. "SO what do I call you now?" thinking for a moment, the vampire formerly known as Nobody responded.

"I don't know. What's a good vampire name that all the little kiddies will know?"

"Well, if you really want, we can always go for the fictional stuff, ya know, the generic Dracula stuff.

Or, we can do some hardcore research, crack open the secret FBI files, go get some books and – "

"Oh fuck off. I'll just bloody well turn on the TV and name myself whatever decided to come on." Edge raised his eyebrows at him, then burst into laughter. "SHUT UP! This is going to work." Edge continued his laughter as the tv was turned on to reveal an interview with someone regarding a book called 'Stardust'. 

"That's Neil Gaimen. " Edge remarked, calming his laughter for a second.

"So what? My name is Neil? Plain old boring Neil? Average I work in a factory and eat my steak medium rare Neil?"

"No, idiot. The last name. Gaimen. Its British, like you. It works." Edge shrugged, content with his friends new name.

"I don't know. Its kind of….well, odd."

"You said you didn't want Neil, so we compromised. Be happy." 

"but I don't like it!" Edge burst into laughter again. "Sod off! I'm just going to call myself…Kael." Edge stopped.

"What does that mean?" the newly named one frowned.

"I don't know. It was my fathers name. He was a warrior."

"oh. It sounds like a hero's name." Edge remarked, now deep in thought. Kael rose and walked to the bathroom, lighting up a cigarette and mumbling something about deserving a hero's name.

She folded the book closed and set it on the floor, gazing at Christians sleeping figure. They had lounged around the house for the night, reading, discussing the finer points of Rik Mayall's comedy, and then, when they ran out of things to do, teasing Jeff about his newly dyed hair. Nothing important had happened at all, Gabrielle thought, flicking off the small light, and resting her head on Christian's chest as it rose and fell gently. She breathed in his scent, of dark blue, of clear skies and of comforting melodies, and she wondered how she could smell that on anyone. Absently, and sleepily, he brought his hand up to stoke her hair, and her back, the gesture beckoning her to fall asleep, to become lost in his ancient, familiar embrace. Gabrielle wilfully gave in, melting into him and sleeping, entrapped in his arms, his perfect embrace, trying to think only of him, while her mind made her dream of her lost love.

Gabrielle sat in the park. Pages of nothing fluttered around her like dead leaves caught in a hurricane. Snow was piling up on the bench she was seated on. She should have been cold. The sky was grey – no, white. It took on the reflection of the ground. If the pages burn, will the sky be red? She thought with awe. One tree before her shuddered like a skeleton against the wind. Its branches were dead, brittle, ready to snap. And suddenly, there he was. Leaning against the tree, like a Shakespearean clown. Eyes focused elsewhere, he didn't notice her. She tried to stand, tried to walk over, but she was frozen. Then he looked in her direction, and smiled warmly. She let out a long sigh, not realising she had been holding her breath. And then he walked away without so much as a goodbye, and the pages began to burn.

The cold sweat that can only be born out of nightmares drenched her body and soaked her hair as she clutched at Christian, who jerked awake.

"What? What happened?"

"He left me." After a silent moment, Christian sighed, glad the horrid feeling that accompanies panicful excitement was over.

"Gabrielle, I know. I-" She shook her head violently. 

"No, in the dream too." Pressing her hands to her head, she sobbed lightly. "And it all burned…the sky…the paper…everything." She gazed up at Christian, with eyes that seemed to become lighter with each passing day, their warm brown seeming to melt into a golden hue, and tears rimmed the edges of them, ready to fall. He reached into the mess of hair, also becoming lighter as time passed, and wondered why such a beautiful soul had to be so tortured. Christian whispered to her about dreams meaning nothing, but knew it wasn't true. Months ago, dreams were all he had.

The sun had set on another uneventful mortal day. It was night, but the sky was the sky of Gabrielle's dreams. Devoid of all blackness. The sky reflected the late winter snow that had pounded down steadily for the entire duration of the day. The sky was pure white, almost innocent in stark contrast to the things that surfaced amidst the nights cloaked tenure.

Hand pressed t the cold glass of the window, Gabrielle stared out at the sky. It looked like the sky of her long lost home, reciprocating the whiteness of the snow that rarely fell in New Orleans. But this winter had been cold. Absently, she wondered if her dream would come true, of hundreds of sheets of paper lighting the sky, warming the snow away. She wondered if, like in the dream, Edge was out there somewhere, not recognising the figure staring out at nothingness, waiting for a parted lover, keeping a silent vigil. One of Christian's arms slipped around her waist, and he pulled her back, resting his other arm across her chest.

"He's not out there." She felt his hair teasing her bare shoulder before he bent to kiss the skin. Gabrielle rolled her head to one side as Christian's mouth gently sucked on the tender vein in her neck. She closed her eyes and placed one hand over his, the other entwining in his hair, pulling his head closer. His tongue drew lazy spirals on the skin, and she longed for him to pierce it and take her, but Christian pulled back.

"Are you going to feed tonight?"

"I have been feeding - "

"No, on someone other than me. And that's not feeding, that exchanging." He nuzzled her neck as he spoke in a soft, sensual tone.

"I suppose so then. It has been a while…" Christian spun around and stood in front of her.

"So we go out?"****

"Of course." She replied with a slightly defeated smile. "Wherever you want to go. Its your choice."

He smiled back, taking one of her hands and pressing a kiss into the palm.

"Then we go somewhere quiet…" He paused to let a wicked grin encompass his face, " Romantic."

Gabrielle reached out to brush a stray hair from his face, a smile once again growing on her own.

"You mean, candles, violins, all that shit?" He laughed softly, and nodded.

"Yes, Gabrielle, and all that shit." She gazed up thoughtfully at him.

"Christian, I've never been to a place like that." He shrugged.

"Neither have I."

"You're not serious?" She regarded him with sceptical shock. "But….Christian, how could you not have? I'm sure you had women beating down your door…" He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yes, all the women just love the quiet intellectuals who know nothing about how to make them happy, let alone start a conversation." His tone was thick with playful sarcasm.

"But - " She struggled for words, "You're so perfect." She finished in a small, childlike voice, eyes fixed on his. Christian only blinked, as if surprised by the statement. "Well, you are….at least I think so…" she finished quietly. Al at once, he turned embarrassed and shy, quiet and sullen, the Christian before Edge had left. 

"What makes you say that?" He asked, letting his gaze fall to the floor.

"You. Everything about you. Aside from the physical, because that's just obvious - "

"Most vampires are beauti- "

"Apart from others. Your very being. The way to talk, the way you think…everything…"

"Stop." He commanded suddenly. "I know its not true. I'm hardly perfect, Gabrielle, I'm as flawed as anyone walking the streets. And all vampires grow beautiful as they age - its common. I'm not - " She leaned forward and silenced him with a soft kiss.

"In my eyes you are, and that's all that matters. Why do you have to question everything - " Gabrielle stopped short as the irony rang through her words, but Christian didn't notice. He merely drew her into an embrace, muttering something about hardly being able to wait until they got home. 

The black van was parked across from the house, Edge resting lazily on the bench seat in the back, while Kael was stretched out on the floor.

"Why are we stalking her Kael?" Edge asked, wearily.

"You said you wanted to have fun with her…play some games?" Edge nodded. "So, I've got it all planned out." Kael at up, motioning at the house. "We follow her for a few nights, let her see a glimpse of you every time, just briefly, then the thrall should take over." He rubbed his hands together at the thought. "And you know what that means…" Edge grinned like a vampire gone insane.

"I can do whatever I damnwell please, and she can't do a thing about it." He sighed dramatically.

"Love is great."

"Christian?" Gabrielle said as he drove them to wherever it was he was taking her.

"Yes?" He replied, not taking his eyes off the road.

"What does Nobody look like?" She saw the muscles in his jaw clench at the mere mention of the former name of the other vampire.

"Why do you want to know?" He half-turned to look at her quickly before fixing his eyes on the road once more. Gabrielle shrugged.

"I just do. I mean, I've yet to see a vampire from another sire…I just want to know if there are any…differences." He took a deep breath before beginning.

"Well, it has been a while since I've seen him, but the last time, Nobody was tall, thin, short bleach blonde hair, smokes like a chimney, perpetually drunk, British…."

"Oh….well, that's surprisingly what I expected." Gabrielle said, turning her head to see a black van speeding beside them, then slowing to match their speed.

"Our little flower is in that car." He paused to listen, "And she's asking about me." Kale laughed. "She doesn't know my name anymore, and neither does your little brother." Edge cocked his head.

"Don't you think driving right beside them is a little too obvious?"

"What do I care? Neither of them can sense us, and I've blocked out our voices." Kale glanced out his darkened windows to see Gabrielle trying to peer into the van. "Shit Edge, you sure did pick a fine young thing." Edge smirked smugly. "And you're sure I don't get to play along?"

Christian waved the swerving van off with a quick glance.

"Probably just some drug addled left over hippie." He said, as Gabrielle still tried to peer into the van beside them.

"But - I don't know. I just kind of have this odd feeling. A bad feeling."

"Gabrielle, don't worry. We're going to have a perfect night out, no bad feelings, no distractions, okay?" She sighed, and finally tore her eyes away from the van, opting to watch the road stretch out before them.

With crimson colored nails she ran her fingers down the stem of the wine glass, filled with a liquid of the same color. Across from her, in the middle of the table was a white candle, providing a perfect, natural light. Christian idly ran his fingers over the rim of his own glass, staring into the deep red pool of wine. His thoughts strayed to the first time he ever had blood from a glass. It was so impersonal, lacking human contact and the intimacy of the act. Raising the glass and drinking, he washed away all thoughts of blood, and focused his eyes on Gabrielle. He decided she looked like something out of a gothic fairy tale. Her hair was in a small braid just touching the back of her neck, with loose strands falling about her face, gleaming golden with the candle's light. Her burgundy shirt had a mock-embroidered pattern to it, scooping low at the neck, coupled with a sweeping, long black skirt, and her ever-present maroon combat boots. A modern gothic fairy tale, he thought again, smiling as he noticed she had been staring straight into his eyes the whole time his had been on her. In the light, his eyes were a playful grey. Gabrielle wondered what color they used to be. Surely not the bright, stark blueness that she had seen only in Edge's eyes. No, she told herself silently, This night is for Christian and I, not Edge. Closing her eyes and shaking her head, Gabrielle leaned in to say something, but upon opening her eyes, lost all semblance of thoughts.

There he stood. Edge was right in front of her, not far behind Christian, leaning on a solid rock fireplace. Her eyes came into contact with his briefly, for a single, shining second, before he looked away casually and put sunglasses on. Gabrielle blinked quickly, trying to rid her eyes of tears that were confused, tears that knew no emotions. By the time she opened them again, Edge no longer stood before her. Glancing quickly, yet thoroughly around the room, he wasn't there. As she let out a long sigh, she realised she had been holding her breath. Gabrielle felt a warm hand close around hers, and brought her eyes up to meet Christian's once again. From his look, she could tell he hadn't noticed anything and so, she was forced to believe it was the wine, the heat, her soul and mind playing devastatingly real tricks on her.

Edge opened the door to the van and sat down, ignoring Kale's inquisitive glance. 

"Well….did she do anything?" Edge turned his head towards Kale to reveal a magnanimous grin.

"She just sat there, and almost started to cry." Kale laughed.

"Perfect! That's exactly what I was going for." He paused for a moment to think. "Your brother didn't see you?"

"No. He had his back turned, and he probably wouldn't be able to see it in her eyes….he never could."

She sat on the couch beside Jeff, wondering what had brought her there. Not the room, not the couch, but there. That life. She sure as hell knew that if she really wanted to get away, she could have at any time, that any of them would have let her go home. Gabrielle noticed Jeff's eyes on her.

"What's wrong?" he said, plainly. God, she thought, how did he always know when there was something wrong? Not even Christian had noticed yet, and she had spent the night with him, eyes flitting around the restaurant looking for Edge's once again.

"I don't know if I really should tell you or not - its kind of odd." He smiled warmly, and rested his elbow on his knee, chin in his hand.

"If you want to, then tell me. If not, save it. Either way, I'm fine." Gabrielle looked down at the floor, then up into Jeff's eyes, and sighed, still unsure. It wasn't that she couldn't trust him. Gabrielle knew she could trust Jeff with anything, but she didn't know if he would believe her. She wasn't sure if she believed herself. 

"I really don't know where to begin…" She stalled for time, and fumbled for words.

"The beginning?" He raised his eyebrows playfully.

"Well then…umm…Christian and I went out for dinner, this really nice fancy place, and I was okay, perfectly fine, but then I started thinking….about Edge. And then…god, I don't know what it was, but I saw him, Jeff! I saw Edge!" she paused for a moment, going over the moment again in her head. "He was right there! And he looked at me, and I looked at him, and everything stopped, and it was like we were alone together. But I closed my eyes to make the tears go away, and then…then when I opened them, he was gone. Just like that! In a second, he was gone." She felt the same tears from before sting her eyes, and she closed them again, knowing that no one could go away this time. They were both silent for a long time, Gabrielle going over the moment in her head, and Jeff thinking about the truth to it, the chances of it happening.

"Gabrielle, I know this isn't what you want to hear right now and its not what you need to hear, but

are you sure you saw him? In the flesh? I know you've been thinking about him, you miss him, and I

can understand that…but it could have just been in your head…"

"No…" she said quietly, looking up at him. "I know it wasn't in my mind. He was so real, he was looking right at me! And he knew me too! But then he was gone…and I know it was him, Jeff. I just know it."

"How can you be so sure though? Did anyone else see him? Christian?"

"Christian had his back to where Edge stood, he didn't see him."

"Did you tell him?" 

"No….I can't tell him! Him and I are getting along so well without Edge, I mean, we're doing so good!

Just Christian and I, and he thinks that's how it was meant to be. But…If I saw Edge again, then I

can't help but question it - "

"But you only saw Edge that one time…what if you never see him again?"

"Don't you fucking say that! That's cruel, and that's untrue! If he loves me…I'll see him again. I have to believe that much…" Jeff shook his head, and sighed deeply.

"I just don't know, Gabrielle. I really don't…"****

It was almost 2am, because the closing credits for the Late Night with Conan O'Brien were running across the screen and Gabrielle and Jeff still sat. Of course she wasn't mad at him for not believing her. She could never be mad at someone with such a gentle, loving soul. Christian, who had remained upstairs the whole time, stood in the doorway. 

"You know, there are more important things to life than late night television." Gabrielle arose from the couch and moved to the doorway, teasingly close to Christian, hands on her hips, scowling. 

"I'll have you know that second only to Rik Mayall, there is no better comedic genius then Conan."

"What about me?" Jeff offered from the couch, now watching Later. Gabrielle stifled a giggle, then yawned. Christian turned his head and gazed at her.

"What?"

"You're tired?" He asked in mock surprise.

"Yea, I had a long night." Christian smirked playfully.

"So that's what you and Jeff were up to - " Gabrielle sighed and pouted at him.

"No, I would never do that…not with Jeff - "

"Same here." Jeff echoed her thoughts, still firmly planted on the couch.

"I would…" Christian said, capturing her hands in his, and turning upstairs.

"What, with Jeff?" He shook his head, pulling her up each step.

"No, love." He turned to kiss her softly, just a brush of the lips. "With you. And its what I intend to do…" he opened the door to her room, pulling her in. As he led her towards the bed he kissed her, a deep passionate kiss, their tongues dancing as they tore at each others clothes, letting them fall to the floor as the pair carelessly fell on the bed, entrapped in an embrace. But every time Gabrielle closed her eyes, she saw his eyes. Edge's eyes staring at her. She must have stopped reacting at some point to Christian's roaming hands because he stopped letting them explore her body, opting to ask of she was alright.

"Yes - " she answered, somewhat breathlessly; "I'm fine…." He shrugged and continued his exploration; lingering over where she reacted most, watching her face and feeling muscles tighten beneath his hands. Christian decided to prolong it as much as possible, until he realised she didn't want it. She has ceased all reactions again. Her head was clouded with too many thoughts. Drawing back, he lay beside her, resting his head on his hand, pushing back her hair with the other. Gabrielle's eyes were fixed upward at the ceiling. Are we all that pale? He wondered looked at her face, riddled with thought. Do we all think that deeply? As his own brain stirred with the philosophical thoughts he thought he had forgotten, Gabrielle rose off of the bed and left. Her path was clear. Edge's room.

"How many more times do I have to do that?" A freshly fed Edge asked Kale, who shrugged.

"What, feed? Idiot, as much as you - "

"No, I mean with Gabrielle. You know, seeing her for a bit then disappearing?"

"As much as you want. Every time she goes out, maybe once a week, hell, you can show up in her room in the middle of the day for all I care. I'm just watching. I love people going insane. Its rather fun to watch the downfall…" Kale spoke as if he'd seen it before, in a voice too smug for his own good.

Christian lay silent on her bed for sometime, thinking about how much the same they all were, when he remembered Gabrielle should be paid attention to. She was, as far as he knew, still in Edge's room. Why she had gone in there was beyond him. Sighing as he rose, Christian decided to check on her, make sure she was alright.

As she had walked to the room, she could already smell him. The bed they had just bought before he left was there, and had already gained Edge's scent. The blankets smelled of him, the chairs by the window, the entire room was his. But he wasn't there. Gabrielle stood in the doorway, remembering all the times he had done the same. Her eyes wondered over each part of the room, the window they had seen the sun though so many times. The bed they had slept in. The curtains that had to be kept drawn now. Walking farther into the room, she felt a sudden longing, an aching pain within. It was a loss she had felt before, but never to this degree. A draft brushed through the room briskly, urging Gabrielle to take refuge under the blankets she had been under so many times before. As she crawled on the bed, she couldn't help but think of Edge, the sweet Edge she remembered, the one who had asked no questions on the first night when she begged him to stay. And the second night, the first night she had spent in his room, because she was too alone in hers.

She slid underneath, and gathered the sheets all around her, hoping to still the dull pain inside of her. But it only grew stronger as more memories flooded back, leaving her crying with need, and aching with want.

Christian's footsteps grew faster as he heard a childlike crying from Edge's room. It had to be Gabrielle. He walked in to see her curled up beneath the dark blue sheets, whimpering quietly. He watched for a moment, and seeing no indications of an end, walked to the bed, and sat beside her.

"Gabrielle, what is it?" He asked, knowing full well what it was.

"I need Edge." Gabrielle said plainly, in a strangled voice. 

"Shit…" Christian swore softly under his breath. He thought it was just pure emotion that made her want him back, but looking into those blank eyes, it was a thrall. But…. That was impossible, Christian thought. Edge hadn't been around to make the mental connection… "Gabrielle? I need to know this, have you seen Edge? Recently?"

"He was there with me in the restaurant. He saw me…I miss him. I need him, Christian! I hurt!" At this, she lost all semblance of self-control and wept uncontrollably, sputtering out that she needed Edge. Christian let her cry for a while then decided to calm her down, no small task. He tried to get her to leave Edge's room, but she refused, instead drawling the blankets closer around her.

"Christian, will you find him for me? You know where he is right? I- I need him…you can find him!" she looked at Christian with an almost fanatical gaze, and he couldn't let her down.

"I…. I'll try. But not tonight, please, get out of this room, come to bed and - "

"No! I can't leave! It's the only way I can be close to him! But you'll stay with me…" He sighed, knowing he couldn't say no, and lay down with her. Gabrielle still sobbed lightly, and clutched at Christian like a drowning child, burring her head on his shoulder, silently asking him to stay up and watch over her. She was scared that he would disappear, like Edge, and she would be left torn open twice, with a worse pain then she already had.

Christian stood at the door, and raised his hand to knock, but let it fall. Was this the place? It sure looked the same as it had last year when Christian had to retrieve Edge. It was worse than living in squalor, it was living in squalor and not caring about it, a voice from the back of his mind drifted forward to say. A soundbite from Gangrel, from the first time they had come. Eight years ago, when Edge had just been brought over. It was well known amongst most vampires that when Gangrel brought a new mortal over, they weren't to see other vampires. Kale, however, was not most vampires. So, he had taken Edge in for a short time, before Gangrel had tracked them down, and taken back Edge. But as the rift between child and maker grew, Edge constantly ran away to Kale's to indulge in a life that was more familiar, always resulting in Gangrel coming for him weeks later. When Gangrel stopped caring, it was Christian who came for him. The circumstances were different this time, drastically different. Edge wasn't having one of his deviant, enraged moments. He had regressed into evil, into the darkness that was within them all, and hadn't bothered to fight back. The stakes were higher this time, for both of them. Gabrielle's sanity, and possibly her life hung in the balance. She had seemed okay when Christian left her, curled up on the couch with Jeff, watching some old horror movie, but it was a front. He could still see the feverish madness in her eyes, and so could Jeff. But there was nothing they could do to still it until she was with Edge again. Christian still had hope of some sort of a reunion as he raised a fist once again to bang at the door. It opened before he had a chance to strike it, Kale standing before him.

"You looking for your brother?" He slurred at Christian, who tried to get a good view of the inside of

the apartment from where he stood. "Well, he's not here. He left awhile ago, to take care of your

bitch. Odd how brothers can share one girl, and not get mad about it. I personally don't get it, but

who am I to judge - "

"What do you mean, 'take care of your bitch'? You mean Gabrielle?" Kale rolled his eyes.

"Yes, of course, her. You mean you didn't know?" He furrowed his brow, and appeared deep in thought for a split second. "Well then, I guess I shouldn't have said anything."

"Where is he going? To the house? The club? Where?"

"Wherever you keep her, that's what he said." Christian swore under his breath and turned to leave, only to be stopped by Kale. "Hey, where do you think you're going? You're not going to kill your own brother, are you?"

"No! But - " Kale smirked at him.

"There's nothing you can do. You go back to that house, and you watch Edge with Gabrielle, and you realise that you love her more than anything, but so does Edge." Drunken bastard has a point, Christian thought. "So, I'm coming with you."

"Like hell you are!" Christian hissed, as a smug grin spread across Kale's face. He closed the door and began to walk down the stairs.

"You coming? We can take my van." Christian shook his head for a moment, then realised in desperation, he may as well go. "Oh, and Christian, call me Kale, will you?"

Gabrielle heard the motorcycle roaring into the driveway, and rose from the couch to meet Christian, when Jeff stopped her.

"Just stay here, okay?" He said, as she sat back down with a shrug. She heard the door open, and silence for a few moments, until there was a bang against the wall, making her jump to her feet. As Gabrielle turned the corner the first thing she saw was Jeff slumped against the wall, unconscious. The second thing she saw as she looked up to the doorway, was a figure clad in a black trenchcoat, dark sunglasses with wavy golden hair falling unbrushed over his shoulders. Unable to react, Gabrielle just stared, until she saw a slow smile spread across his face, and he reached out for her. 

"Edge…." She whispered, falling into his arms, as he pulled her into an embrace neither of them would forget. After a moment, he pulled her outside, and gestured for her to get on his bike, which she did and they rode off into nothing, going nowhere.

Christian was seated next to Kale in the van that stank of age and every other possible odour, when he saw a blonde man on a motorcycle speed by.

"Shit, was that Edge?" he inquired of the vampire sitting in the drivers seat.

"What, on that bike?" He squinted and looked in the rearview mirror. "Well, he's got a girl behind him, so I think it must be." He sighed. "Do I have to turn this van around so we can chase him?"

"Yes!" 

"Bloody hell, its not meant to go this fast, you know." Kale grumbled, turning the van around in the middle of the road. "We need some good chasing music…" He remarked as Christian scowled at him. "That means turn on the radio, or are you against music too?" Christian only glared, as Kale sighed dramatically and turned on the radio, which began to blast Push Upstairs by Underworld. "Perfection."

"Will you concentrate on driving please?" Christian urged. 

"Oh, you stupid little young thing, you don't think ahead do you? In five years, you'll still have her.

What does now mean?" he rolled his eyes. "But I guess I have to keep driving, right? Think you

know it all…" Kale mumbled over the radio. "Don't know a bloody thing about love…don't know jack

shit about anything…I can teach you something…"

"Shut up already! Just catch up with them!" Christian yelled impatiently.

"Why? What's in it for me? I don't get you, not at all. You risk your life for her, when you know you can have her whenever you want. And you just don't want Edge to get her, right? Its jealousy. Pure and simple." He spoke as if he had made the biggest discovery in the world.

"I don't have to take this from you, you know. And why the hell do you care? Just drive."

"My, my, my! Someones a little bitchy today." Kale remarked under his breath, as he sped the car up, just a little. 

The loud roar of the motorcycle stilled Gabrielle's thoughts and the late winter chill made her grip Edge tighter, leaning closer against him as he drove dangerously fast. Edge glanced behind him, and snarled angrily, at the sight of the black van following them. He sped up more, taking the bike faster than it had ever gone, no doubt faster than it was meant to go. The wind grew stronger and colder and Gabrielle pressed closer, needing the heat from his body. She was only concerned with being near Edge. So concerned in fact, that she didn't even bother to look behind to see the van.

"Kale, you're shaking." Christian commented. "You okay to drive?" Kale scoffed.

"No, I'm not. I'm sober." He cringed, gripped the wheel tighter to still his hands as Christian looked on with an amused gaze. The music on the radio was still loud, but they could still hear the roar of Edge's engine over it. Until the lights disappeared and the engine cut out. Christian tried to peer ahead into the darkness, tried to sense them, but it was no use. Edge had blocked his mind, and Gabrielle's. As developed as their senses were, if a vampire didn't want to be found, they won't be found. Christian looked ahead in panic as Kale swore beside him, slowing his driving in case he saw the pair on the side of the road, or worse, in the middle of the road.

Edge dragged the bike into the wooded area and did his best to hide it amongst the growth of the south. Gabrielle followed closely on his heels, never letting him get more than an arms reach away. He hadn't looked at her, even as he took the blanket from the back of his bike in one hand, and hers in the other, leading her to a small cleaning. Silently, he spread the soft blanket on the damp earth and pulled her down, into his arms. Wrapped in Edge's embrace, she was dizzy with a euphoric happiness that she had never experienced in her life. Gabrielle inhaled deeply, breathing in his scent mingled with the scent of the cold night. She would never forget it. Edge pulled her down so they lay on the blanket, together. She looked up and gasped. The stars. Millions of them. Even back home, she had never been able to see this many. The lights were always too bright. The sky was a dark velvety blue with stray clouds looming and passing across every so often, seeming to hold the stars hostage before moving on and setting them free once again.

"Pick one." Edge whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes, savouring the sweetness of a voice it seemed she hadn't heard forever. When Gabrielle opened her eyes, he was pointed towards the sky. "That one." He said, simply. She nodded in wordless agreement. He turned on his side and looked at her. In the darkness, she couldn't see the sinisterly sweet smile playing on his lips.

Jeff stretched languidly before noticing the pain making his head throb. He noticed the cold draft in front of him, and his first thought was of an open window in his room. He struggled to open his eyes against the pain of his head, and the blinding redness he saw in his mind. Upon opening them, he saw he wasn't in his room. He was in the hall, slumped against a wall, the door open in front of him. Scrambling to his feet, Jeff bolted to the living room, faintly remembering that Edge had come. It was Edge who had thrown him against the wall. He must have taken Gabrielle, because she wasn't in the living room where she had been before, and he couldn't sense her anywhere in the house, or anywhere near. He couldn't sense her at all. And with Christian gone, he couldn't know where she was. With the way Edge had treated Jeff, he was scared to go out, scared for Gabrielle because he had seen the evil in Edge's eyes, he had seen the tortured demon surface. In an instant, despite the pain in his head and the fear in his heart, Jeff was out on his bike, to save Gabrielle.

Edge loomed over Gabrielle, inches away as she stared up at the stars, up at the star they had claimed. Her gaze went from the stars to him.

"You came back for me…" She whispered almost too soft to hear. He smiled warmly.

"Of course. I love you Gabrielle." He reached a hand out to brush a stray hair from her face. She smiled at the touch and pressed her hand over his.

"I didn't know if you'd be back - Christian said you'd done this before…Jeff said you were evil…" he silenced her with a finger to her lips.

"I'm not evil, Gabrielle. I just left because I needed a rest…I needed a break. There was a lot to deal with." Gabrielle nodded her head reassuringly, as complete understanding drifted through her mind.

"Are you going to come back?" Edge shook his head and she bit her lip, wincing.

"I can't. You've gotta understand, I just can't. But…there is one thing…." She tilted her head more towards him, silently asking the unspoken question. "You…you just have to be with me - like before." Gabrielle opened her mouth to say something, but was silenced by a soft pair of lips against hers. "Sh. Just say you will…and then stay for an eternity…" 

At Edge's words, a brief flickering image of Christian was lighted for a moment in her head, then dropped away. She forgot her promise from what seemed like so long ago. 'Our Eternity.' The words rang through her head but were stamped out by Edge, and then forgotten, because he willed it so. A dark sense of regret she couldn't quite grasp fluttered in her head and her heart. It was lost as the word, one single word, rose and fell on her lips and rang joyfully in Edge's ears.

"Yes."

Jeff rode at a maniacal speed, searching for some mental inkling of Gabrielle. But there wasn't one. There was nothing as there had been before. Sighing heavily, he noticed the blackened skid marks along the road, and then, upon slowing down, noticed a small trail in the snow, a bike and footsteps. Two sets. It had to be them. He followed to a bush, where he caught a glint of metal shining, as if it wasn't meant for his eyes. He set his own motorcycle up against a tree and reached out to touch the other. Its engine was still warm, and it had the scent of Gabrielle. To the side were more footsteps, kept close together almost lost by the wind blowing at what little snow was left. They stopped near a clearing, and Jeff crouched down. Gabrielle and Edge were in each others arms on a blanket. The phrase 'star-crossed lovers' leaped into his head. That they were indeed. There was something about their intimacy that made Jeff feel even more unwelcome, as if he was disturbing something sacred. It was then he noticed the moon illuminating the sweat that sheened their bodies. As he saw Edge bend his head slowly down to Gabrielle's neck, it dawned on him what he had come just in time to see. The feeding ritual after sex. It also dawned on Jeff that Edge shouldn't be drinking so much from Gabrielle.

Why is he taking so much, Gabrielle wondered as Edge continued to feed on her. Thoughts of him fasting filled her head. He had been waiting for this moment, she thought. Waiting to feed on the one he loved, But why so much? Finally, when he pulled away, she felt weaker than she had ever felt before, or remembered feeling at least. Gabrielle reached out towards him, meaning to feed, but in an act that surprised her, he pulled away,

"Edge….I need to feed…please…" In the moonlight, she faintly thought she saw a smirk across his face.

"There's someone in the bushes Gabrielle…We can't feed while someone's watching…Maybe you need to…to take them…" Weakly, she nodded, and dragged herself up and forward to meet her meal.

Kale viscously turned the car around the corner as he heard the roar of a motorcycle engine. It didn't emit the same notice as before, but Christian urged him to follow it until it too disappeared. But they saw where it went this time, and parked across from the small path.

"That's Jeff." Christian remarked to an edgy Kale, next to him.

"And who is Jeff?"

"He lives with us. He's one of my sires new ones." Kale raised an eyebrow.

"And does he have a special bond with Gabrielle too?" He asked, mockingly, to which Christian shook his head impatiently.

"No, but Edge never really liked him - maybe that's why he followed - "

"Or he's double crossed you and the bitch."

"Don't call her that." Christian demanded quietly.

"Well, that's what she seems to be." Kale gestured largely with hands that were no longer shaking. "She screws Edge, she screws you, leaves you and runs away with your very evil brother….I mean, you should have heard the things he wants to do to her!"

"Be quiet. She's not a bitch. She's done nothing wrong. She's followed her heart, and if this is where it leads her, so be it."

"Then why - " Kale began to ask as Christian opened the door and jumped out.

"Why am I here? Because I love her too much to see Edge hurt her, that's why. I'm going to find her - You coming?" Christian asked before closing the door. Kale sighed and got out of the van, following Christian around to the front. After a few silent moments, Kale grew impatient.

"So we're just going to stand here and let them come to us?" Christian raised his hand to silence Kale as they both heard a surprised yelp coming from the adjacent trail.

Gabrielle stared at the aqua-green eyes through the mess of bushes with only a small glimmer of recognition. Jeff stared back with growing fear. Her hunger overshadowed everything else and Edge gained control of her mind, blocking all memories that would prevent her from taking Jeff. She was weak, susceptible to his thoughts, to his power. Edge spoke silently to her through her mind as she stared at Jeff still, all recognition now gone. Jeff was just another meal, another person to feed on. He was paralysed with fear, shock, dread, and all other horrid feelings that come with seeing ones impending death in another's eyes. As Gabrielle advanced on him, Jeff looked from her to Edge, transfixed by a gaze that once regarded her with feverish love, and now looked at her with blinding madness. It was Edge, it was all Edge, he thought, but couldn't bring himself to scream. Even as the small fangs dug painfully into his neck, Jeff could do nothing. If he tried, he would die brutally at the hands of Edge, violently, rather than the almost romanticised feeling of Gabrielle killing him slowly. A friend killing him. He fell to his knees, causing Gabrielle to lower herself as well. Jeff thought only of her, thinking of the tragedy that had befallen her. It should have been betrayal, he thought, becoming light-headed. A voice in his head whispered insensible things as Gabrielle drew the last out of him. 

__

I don't want to be ashes, Gabrielle, I don't want to be dust! 

That was the last thought before his heart stopped, and Gabrielle drew back, looking up at Edge, begging for his approval and praise. He nodded swiftly, face encompassed in a wickedly evil grin as he moved forward and drew her up into his arms.

"Perfect Gabrielle, that was perfect." Gabrielle stared up at him with satisfaction.

"I did good?" She asked, like a child wanting to be patted on the head.

"Yes, you did. Lets go before it rots." She looked down at Jeff's fallen figure.

"Why did he say he didn't want to be ashes, Edge? Is he a vampire too?" Edge just frowned and pulled her away, before the body turned to dust, and crumbled on the ground, leaving a greyish strain on the powdery white snow.

Christian heard Jeff's last thoughts and stood still, pondering them for a moment.

"No…god no…." An image from Jeff's mind flew into Christians. Gabrielle beside him, fangs in his neck, slowly, carefully taking him as Edge watched on. Kale stared at Christian, thinking the vampire had gone insane, until Christian spoke again. "Jeff's dead…Gabrielle - she…she did it…" Kale looked at Christian with a shocked expression.

"She what?"

"Killed Jeff…" Christian repeated in an awe-struck voice.

"Why would she do a thing like that?"

"Kale, we - we can control peoples mind when they're weakened, can't we?" Christian asked slowly.

"Sometimes, yes….why?" Christians eyes hardened at Kale's response, and his jaw clenched.

"Because that's what Edge's done to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle dressed quickly as Edge pulled her though the small forest, unaware of the late winter chill.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she saw the road peek out of the trees.

"We should go somewhere were we can really live…a new city."

"I meant now - when we're out of the woods…" Edge turned to stare at her.

"So did I." She looked in confusion at him as he continued to pull her along.

"Why move? We can get an apartment in the city, live together, hunt together."

"No, there's too much here that's - " He struggled for a fitting word, "Familiar. We need a new start." As the lights of the city became visible, he stopped moving at his fast pace, and on the outskirts of the French Quarter, stopped. Gabrielle stood behind him, slipping her arms around his waist, and resting her head near his shoulder.

"Where now?" He shrugged and pulled her around, grasping her hand as he started to walk again, down Bourbon Street, past the drunken tourists, the open bars and small cafés, before Gabrielle stopped him.

"Can we stop walking? I'm tired…"

"We can get a room for the day, I guess. Or - I know a place." Edge remarked, already walking towards the apartment Kale had occupied for ten years.

Kale followed Christian along the softly worn path of footsteps to where a pile of grey ash marred the snow. Christian stood shaking his head. Kale looked down at the small heap. He recognised it, had seen many similar visions in his many years.

"Christian - what should we do with it?" He asked softly.

"Take him home?" Christian shook his head again, trying to put thoughts together. "He has a brother - maybe his brother would know. Jeff didn't want to be ashes - " Christian watched as Kale, with uncharacteristic care, scooped up the ashes, and placed them in the folds of a white cloth from his pocket. Christian knew it had been done before by the elder vampire. Kale tied the ends, forming a cylindrical shape, and set it in one of many inside pockets.

"We should return them to his brother." Kale remarked sombrely. Christian nodded slowly, almost astonished by a side of Kale that he doubted anyone had seen before. Kale started to walk back to the van, feet crunching lightly on snow, and after a moment of silent mourning, Christian returned to the van as well.

"Where to now?" Kale asked, turning they key and pulling away from the side of the road.

"Where can they go? Edge won't take her back to the house…and he has nowhere else to go."

"He does." Kale said grimly. "The apartment on Bourbon." He turned the van around on the road as Christian flicked on the radio to hear a haunting melody, the pale, almost prophetic voice of Robert Smith flooded over the two.

__

Say goodbye on a night like this if it's the last thing you ever do

You never looked as lost as this, sometimes it doesn't even look like you

It goes dark, it goes darker still, please stay

But I'm watching you like I'm made of stone as you walk away.

I'm coming to find you if it take me all night, 

A witch hunt for another girl

For always and ever is always for you

Your trust

The most gorgeously stupid thing I ever cut in the world

Say hello on a day like today

Say it everytime you move

The way that you look at me now

Makes me wish I was you

It goes deep

It goes deeper still

This touch

And the smile and the shake of your head

I'm coming to find you if it takes me all night

Can't stand here like this anymore

For always and ever is always for you

I want it to be perfect

Like before

I want to change it all

I want to change

Gabrielle lay on the mattress on the floor of the back room, with Edge's trench coat wrapped around her, in his arms. The room wasn't decorated, and magazines littered the concrete floor. Walls that were once white were yellowed with smoke and age. But it felt so good to be in his arms again, no matter what the circumstances. Gabrielle didn't know why Edge had locked the door to the room, but she didn't even ask. Barely a word had been spoken between them upon arriving at Kale's apartment. He had straight away taken her to the back room, then disappeared for a moment, checking the apartment for something. Despite her protests, he told her she had to sleep, so she curled up beside him, head on his chest, and slept surprisingly sound. Edge stayed up briefly to watch over her. Now she was with him, and could live as a vampire was meant to live. One lover, hunting whether it was of necessity or not, and doing whatever they pleased, but always returning home to a save haven, no matter how many years they had been away. Edge was still astonished by the ease at which Gabrielle had killed Jeff, and amazed by Jeff's seeming willingness to be taken by Gabrielle. As long as she didn't remember Jeff, or Christian, or anything else, then she was his and nothing could stop them.

"So what do we do now?" Christian asked quietly as Kale parked the van in the alley. Signing, he replied.

"Go in, I suppose. Got a plan?" Christian shook his head.

"Not a single idea. I don't know how to get her back…"

"You take care of your brother. I've had to deal with all this mental shit before, I think I can do it again." Christian thought for a moment about this, weighing the options, then nodded.

"Kale? If anything gets messed up, I just like to say stay sober. You're a hell of a lot nicer that way." Kale smirked.

"Well, enjoy it while it lasts Christian. I have a feeling I'll be going on the drinking binge of the century after this is over." He remarked, as he got out of the van and began ascending the stairs that seemed excruciatingly long and tiring on a night like this.

Edge was jerked awake at the sound of the cans engine cutting off with a harsh growl. Gabrielle stirred and pressed herself closer to him, opening her eyes. He looked down at her and kissed her hair. 

"Go back to sleep, Gabrielle. It was just a car, or something." She nodded sleepily and leaned against him, not closing her eyes, but not seeing the worry and look of bitter determination on his face.

Kale paused outside the door, Christian behind him, both moving hesitatingly slowly.

"Well, here we are…" Kale whispered, opening the door a crack and peering in. There was nothing as far as he would see, so Kale walked in, motioning for Christian to follow.

"Where are they?" He whispered to Kale, who shrugged and glanced out onto the balcony then into the small kitchen. Once again, nothing. Kale mouthed the words 'back room' to Christian, who nodded in understanding. Kale stood to one side of the door and Christian took the other. Kale tried the doorknob without success. It was locked. Shaking his head, he backed up, and rammed a shoulder into the door, sending it immediately flying open. In the far left corner of the room, Gabrielle sat wrapped in Edge's arms, a look of fear across her face. Edge stared at the pair that stood in the doorway as Kale stared to slowly approach him and Gabrielle. She looked up at Edge with fear and confusion.

"Who are they?" Edge glared from Kale to Christian, who moved closer into the room, standing in the centre. Edge rose and stood in front of him, ignoring Gabrielle clinging to his arm. "Edge, who is he?" She demanded. Christian tried to conceal the pain he felt at hearing those words from Gabrielle, directed at him. **How could she not know?** Christian looked back to Edge, who had a smugly amused grin on his face. Christian gestured to Kale.

"Take her, now." He commanded. Edge just shrugged and flung Gabrielle towards Kale, too confident with his hold on her to think it could ever be broken. As he watched kale drag her, kicking and screaming from the room, Edge was momentarily caught off guard by Christian pinning him to the wall with his forearm.

"Give her back her life!" Christian hissed.

"No - She's mine - " He choked out under the pressure of Christians arm against his throat.

"She's not! You treat her like shit! You don't care! She deserves better - " Edge knocked Christian backwards and off balance, sending him stumbling to the floor.

"Like you, right?" Edge shook his head. "No, You don't deserve her. She needs someone who can show her real life, not romantic shit - " Christian regained his balance and regarded Edge with a sad expression.

"You didn't even fight for yourself, you know that?"

"What?" Edge asked, voice rising.

"The darkness!" Christian screamed. "Its in all of us, and you didn't even bother to try!"

"I couldn't! You know that! You know my past, the struggle for light, for goodness. You never helped, you never even offered to help! Maybe, if I had the support of my brother rather than him trying to steal my love, then this wouldn't be happening! Its not something I can control! You know that more than anyone!" Christian lowered his eyes and fell to the floor as a hard fist caught him across the face, stinging, but not as much as the emotional pain and turmoil caused by Edge's brutally honest words.

"Who the fuck are you?" Gabrielle screamed as kale dragged her out onto the balcony and slammed the glass doors shut. She had nowhere to go.

"I am Kale, and in there with Edge is his brother Christian. You don't remember Christian?" She spat on the ground beside him, slipping out of his grasp and sinking down. "Guess not…"

"Why are you doing this? Do you have something against Edge?"

"Personally, no. But morally, yes. He's wronged you, himself and his brother, and Jeff." She snapped her head up.

"Jeff…" She whispered, "I know that name…" He snorted.

"You should. Its in your head, you just can't find it, that's all." Gabrielle suddenly got to her feet and peered into the apartment though the glass.

"They're fighting….I've got to help Edge!" She began banging her fists on the glass frantically, as she saw the two tumble into the living room. Gabrielle shrieked Edge's name as Kale grasped her shoulders and spun her around to face him. Edge was distracted and Kale knew this would be his only chance to free Gabrielle. He closed his eyes, blocking out the violent sounds from within the apartment, blocking out Gabrielle's screams as he entered her mind, and concentrated. He had to free Edge's hold. In a split second, he was consumed by the inner workings of her mind and felt her fall to her knees as he did the same, still firmly holding her shoulders. Kale tried to find his way through the dizzying myriad of colours that were her thoughts, feelings and memories when he came to a dense grey wall. A wall within that Edge had created with its only purpose being to block out whatever he deemed undesirable. Kale knew it was beyond his own mental strength to remove it, when he felt a ghostly presence, and felt a coldness on his shoulder. From within Gabrielle's mind, he heard a soft voice speak.

__

You can always just leave, you know. Gabrielle, you don't have to stay.

Kale felt the presence move from him to Gabrielle, and fall over her like a shining mist. When it cleared, the wall was gone and when they both opened their eyes, Kale and Gabrielle saw an almost transparent figure standing on the edge of the balcony, with a smile on his face.

"Jeff…" she whispered, almost inaudible. He nodded and turned, disappearing into the night. "Thank you." Quickly regaining strength and without a word, she opened the glass doors, and walked into the apartment. With amazing clarity, she had an epiphany born out of a long ago conversation with Jeff.

"Stop!" She screamed at Edge and Christian who ceased their fighting and turned to regard her with surprise. "Stop fighting. Its stupid! Brothers aren't meant to fight."

"But - Gabrielle, he - " Christian sputtered out over a lip that was split open.

"No. Stop fighting, because you have to listen to me. I'm leaving. This doesn't work, so I have to. There's nothing else I can do. Don't stop me, don't come after me, because there's no point. When I have more to say, I'll say it. Goodbye my loves." Gabrielle turned and abruptly walked out the door, never turning to look back because if she did, she wouldn't have the heart to leave and they would see the tears obstructing her view as she made her way down the stairs and out to Bourbon street, for one last walk in the city.

Christian stood opposite Edge, blinking and trying to figure out what had happened. Edge stood staring at the door with foolish hope, waiting for her to come back.

"She's not coming back. Selfish things we are…" Kale spoke from the balcony. "Sometimes I believe we were meant to be solitary creatures."

Edge, 

I don't know how to start this, so I'll skip the sweetness and delve into my mind. You let the evil consume you. Its your fault, everything that happened. I don't care about your past or that you claim you had no choice. You should have fought it. You should have at least tried. You had to drag the rest of us down with you. You made my kill my dearest friend. You made me kill Jeff without remorse, you gave me no option to force the evil, the urge back, but you forced it upon me. You once wrote me a letter to say you were leaving and now I'm doing the same. I love you Edge, you know that, but you know why it can't work. I may be back one day, maybe not, but don't wait around for me. Tell Christian the same. I know how sentimental he is. I want you both to find happiness with someone else, someone who lives a less complicated life someone who knows what they want. I know you both can. But don't ever forget our happiness, even if it was short. 

I will always and forever remain yours, 

Gabrielle.

Gabrielle, 

Matt said he saw you. He came back to tell me. Please some home, love and I swear, I'll never make you choose again. I need you here. The house is empty. Come back.

Christian.

__

Pages - A Diary Interlude - The Finale

20 years. Its been 20 years since I abandoned the perfect city of New Orleans. And its been 20 years since I've seen Edge or Christian. I couldn't go back after what I said, what I wrote, and what happened. In one moment of clear thought, I know it would never work out. God, I didn't even go back when they scattered Jeff's ashes into the wind. I saw Matt a year after. He and Melissa did it with Kale, Christian and Edge. I think I would have liked to see it, to be in the crispness of the early April air as Jeff found his way home. Matt's happy with Melissa, and he wanted me to stay for a while, but I couldn't. I didn't want to impose. It was shortly after that when I left for Europe. I've been travelling around it ever since. To Italy, Greece, England at last. I ran into Kale in a pub in Wales last week. He was just there, and I saw him, and he saw me, and we bonded again. He's stopped drinking. What fate that I find him in a pub? He stayed in New Orleans with Edge and Christian in the mansion for a few years before he couldn't stand it anymore. He said neither of them were over me, over anything that happened, and that as long as they had immortality, they knew I would be back. At first, I laughed. Then a few hours later, I bought a plane ticket straight from Cardiff to New Orleans. And now the plane is landing, and I've never been so scared in all my life. To quote myself from long ago, wish me luck?

Gabrielle. 


End file.
